'^                        PKINCETON,  N.  J. 

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BV  3271  .V5  L8 
Luther,  Calista  V. 
The  Vintons  and  the 

Karens 

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REV.    JUSTUS    H.    VI  NTON 


MRS.     CALISTA     HOLMAN     VINTON 


THE    VINTONS    AND 
THE    KARENS. 


MEMORIALS   OP^  REV.  JUSTUS  H.  VINTON 
AND   CALISTA   H. 'VINTON. 


CALISTA    V. 


"LUTHER. 


BOSTON  : 
PUBLISHED    BY   W.  G.  CORTHELL, 

MISSION    ROOMS. 
1880. 


Copyright,  1880, 
Bv  W.  G.  CORTHELL. 


Stereotyped  aiid printed  by  Rand,  Avery,  &"  Co. 
Boston. 


TO 

W^t  Baptist  C}jurcl)eis  of  Connecticut, 

WHO,  THROUGH  LONG  YEARS, 

BY  THEIR  SYMPATHY,  PRAYERS,  AND  CONTRIBUTIONS, 

SUSTAINED  AND  CHEERED  MY  BELOVED 

PARENTS  IN  THEIR  WORK  FOR 

GOD  AND  THE  KARENS, 

5  ffiratefullg  Bcliicatc  tfjcsc  fHcmorials. 


PREFACE. 


The  following  memoirs  have  been  prepared  at  the 
earnest  and  repeated  request  of  many  who  felt  that 
the  simple  record  of  such  devoted  lives  would  be  tor 
the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  his  Church.  They 
are  sent  forth  with  the  hope  that  they  may  inspire 
others  to  show  a  devotion  and  earnestness  similar  to 
those  so  markedly  displayed  m  the  consecrated  lives 
of  Justus  H.  and  CaHsta  Vinton. 

The  verses  at  the  head  of  each  chapter  are  selected 
from  "  Hymns  of  Faith  and  Hope "  by  Horatius 
Bonar,  a  little  book  which,  during  the  last  years  of  my 
mother's  Hfe,  comforted  and  cheered  her  in  many 
dark  hours.  Her  own  copy,  purchased  in  George 
Miiller's  orphan-houses  in  Bristol,  Eng.,  lies  before 
me  as  I  write.  Its  worn  binding  shows  the  evidences 
of  the  long  voyage  to  India  and  the  many  jungle- 
journeys,  during  which  it  never  left  its  owner's  side. 

V 


VI  PREFACE. 

Marked  in  many  pages,  it  seems  to  speak  to  us,  with 
her  own  gentle  voice,  words  of  heavenly  cheer. 

I  take  this  opportunity  to  thank  those  friends  who 
have  so  kindly  furnished  me  with  letters  and  reminis- 
cences of  my  beloved  parents,  from  which  many  of 
the  facts  in  the  memoirs,  especially  with  reference  to 
the  life  of  my  parents  in  America,  have  been  drawn. 

I  also  wish  to  acknowledge  with  thankfulness  the 
great  assistance  which  my  dear  husband  has  rendered 
in  every  stage  of  the  work.  In  the  midst  of  the 
labors  and  cares  attendant  upon  the  charge  of  a  large 
parish,  he  has  cheerfully  spent  many  days  of  patient 
work  in  arranging  and  making  available  the  crude 
materials  by  the  aid  of  which  these  memoirs  have 
been  written. 

CALISTA  VINTON   LUTHER. 


PI 

CONTENTS. 


Preface i-iv 

CHAPTER   I. 

FAGS. 

Birth  and  Early  Years  of  J.  H.  Vinton.  —  Conversion. — 
Call  to  Preach.  —  Licensed  by  the  Ashford  Church. 

—  Enters  the  Institution  at  Hamilton,  N.Y.  —  Decis- 
ion to  become  a  Missionary.  —  Revival  Work, — 
Death  of  Belinda  Vinton I-9 

CHAPTER    II. 

Calista    Holman.  —  Bitter    Experience.  —  Conversion.  — 
Baptism.  —  First   Communion.  —  Strange   Recovery. 

—  Consecration.  —  Goes  to  Hamilton.  —  Proficiency 
in  the  Languages.  —  Marriage.  —  First  Studies  in 
Karen.  —  Learning  a  Language  by  the.  Natural 
Method.  —  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vinton  set  sail  for  Burmah. 

—  The  Cashmere.  —  Labors  for  the  Crew.  —  Anxiety 

of  the  Missionaries.  —  Many  Conversions   .         .         10-20 

CHAPTER    III. 

Landing  at  Maulmain.  —  Immediate  Work  in  the  Jungles. 

—  Method  of  Labor.  —  The  Karens.  —  Burmese  Cru- 
elty.—  Jungle  Labors.  —  Discouragements.         .         21-38 

vii 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   IV. 

PAGE. 

Mr.  Vinton's  Faith. — Elder  Swan. — Visit  to  a  Karen 
Prophet,  —  Unkind  Reception.  —  Day  of  Fasting  and 
Prayer.  —  Tenacity  of  Purpose.  —  Conversion  of  a 
Karen  Chief.  —  The  Cloud  breaks.  —  The  Prophet 
foiled. —  Lakee 39-53 

CHAPTER   V. 

Labors  among  English  Residents  in  Burmah.  —  Sympathy 
of  English  Residents  and  Officers  with  Mission  Work 
in  India.  —  The  Christian  Heroes  of  the  Indian  Army. 

—  Mr.  Vinton's  Sunny  Disposition.  —  Amusing  De- 
scription by  Mrs.  Vinton.  —  Rainy  Days.  —  Indiffer- 
ence to  Insults.  —  "Sister  Miranda."  —  The  Vinton 
Children.  —  Voyage  to  the  Cape.  —  Death  of  Harvey 
Vinton.  —  Return  to  America      ....         54-69 

CHAPTER   VI. 

Failure  of  the  Missionary  Spirit  in  America.  —  Mr.  Vin- 
ton's Addresses  and  Singing.  —  The  Missionary's 
Call,  written  by  Dr.  Nathan  Brown.  —  The  Five-Franc 
Piece.  —  Frank's  Chapel.  —  Enthusiasm  of  Contribu- 
tors.—  Return  to  India.  —  Voyage  interrupted  at  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope.  —  Continuation  of  the  Story  of 
Frank's  Chapel.  —  English  Contributors     .        .        70-81 

CHAPTER   VII. 

A  New  Field.  —  Rangoon.  —  The  Desire  for  Education. 

—  Cruel  Oppression  of  the  Karens  by  the  Burmans. 

—  Karen  Martyrs.  —  Praying  for  War.  —  Demands 
for  Compensation  by  the  English  Government. — Joy 


CONTENTS.  IX 

PAGE. 

of  the  Karens.  —  The  English  Fleet  returns.  —  Karen 
Spies.  —  Rousing  the  Villages.  —  A  Nation's  Deliver- 
ance.—  Burmese  Preparations  for  War.  —  Rangoon 
and  other  Posts  captured.  —  Horrible  Revenge  of  the 
Burmans.  —  Fearful  Suffering  of  the  Karens. — The 
Cry  of  the  Churches  to  Mr.  Vinton.  —  He  takes  the 
Responsibility,  and  goes  to  Rangoon.  —  Life  in 
the  Stockade.  —  Terrible  Scenes  among  the  Karens. 
—  Hospitals.  —  Death  of  Pah-yah.  —  Dr.  Kincaid's 
Letter.  —  Many  Conversions.  —  Treaty  of  Peace. — 
The  Government  orders  the  Missionaries  to  remove. 
«—  Removal  to  Kemmendine         ....       82-104 


CHAPTER   VIIL 

A  New  Trial.  —  Famine.  —  Mr.  Vinton  distributes  Rice  to 
the  Starving.  —  Generous  Conduct  of  Rice  Merchants 
to  Mr.  Vinton.  —  Anxiety  of  his  Friends.  —  Fruits 
of  Generosity.  —  Thousands  converted.  —  The  Vote 
of  Censure  by  Brethren  in  Am.erica.  —  Mr.  Vinton's 
Justification.  —  Separation  from  the  Missionary 
Union.  —  Consecration  Anew  to  the  Work. — The 
Karen  Home  Mission  Society.  —  Generosity  of  the 
Natives.  —  Completion  of  Frank's  Chapel  .        .     105-116 


CHAPTER    IX. 

The  Pegu  High  School.  —  Mrs.  Vinton  as  a  Teacher. — 
School  Discipline.  —  Teaching  Greek  to  her  Children. 
—  Their  Surprising  Discovery.  —  Parting  from  the 
Children.  —  The  Children  in  America.  —  Kindness  of 
Friends.  —  Abundant  Labors.  —  Training  Native 
Helpers.  —  A  Happy  Life 117-131 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   X. 

PAGB, 

Modes  of  Conveyance.  —  Romance  and  Reality.  —  An 
Elephant's  Sagacity.  —  English  Contributors  to  the 
Mission.  —  The  Carriage.  —  Trials  of  Faith        .     132-142 

CHAPTER  XL 

"A  Crisis  in  Brother  Vinton's  Affairs."  —  The  Shadow  of 
the  Cloud.  —  The  Last  Jungle  Journey.  —  Illness. — 
Mrs.  Vinton's  Letter.  — The  Closing  Scene. — Funeral 
Services.  —  Mr.  Rose's  Address.  —  Mr.  Vinton's  Last 
I-etter 143-150 

CHAPTER  XIL 

Sympathy.  —  Shall  She  return  Home  ?  —  Dr.  Kincaid.  — 
Decision  to  remain.  —  Fruits  of  the  Maulmain  Nor- 
mal School.  —  The  Work  of  Oversight.  —  Donations 
from  Scholars.  —  Mrs.  Vinton's  Remarkable  Dream, 

151-173 
CHAPTER  XIIL 

Return  of  Mrs.  Vinton's  Daughter  to  Burmah.  —  She  en- 
gages at  once  in  the  Work.  —  Travelling  by  Buffalo- 
Cart. —  The  Dismayed  Cook.  —  The  Kalah  Cook  as 
an  Institution.  —  Arrival  at  the  Village.  —  Mrs.  In- 
galls.  —  Travelling  in  state 174-196 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Milking  a  Buffalo.  —  Experientia  docet.  —  Fermented 
Fish.  —  Foolish  Questions.  —  Housekeeping  under 
Difficulties.  —  The  Solution. —  Put  Yourself  in  His 
Place.  —  Too  Proud.  —  The  Voice  of  Jesus.  —  Igno- 
rance          197-218 


CONTENTS.  xi 

CHAPTER  XV. 

PAGE. 

Training  Servants.  —  Native  Helpers.  —  George  and  Isa- 
bella. —  Brainerd's  Return. : —  Mrs.  Vinton  sails  for 
England.  —  Cheltenham  and  London.  —  America. — 
Rev.  R.  M.  Luther.  —  Home  at  Last  .        .        .     219-233 

CHAPTER  XVL 

Fruitful  Labors  in  America.  —  Canada.  —  Philadelphia.  — 
Return  to  Burmah.  —  Last  Illness.  —  Arrival  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Luther.  —  Closing  Scenes.  —  Death  of  Mrs. 
Vinton  .........     234-242 

CHAPTER   XVII. 

Miranda  Vinton.  —  Mrs.  Binney's  Letter.  —  Mrs.  Stevens's 

Letter 243-252 


f 


PI 


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THE    VINTONS    AND    THE 
KARENS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

"  Be  brave,  my  brother, 
Fight  the  good  fight  of  faith 

With  weapons  proved  and  true. 
Be  faithful  and  unshrinking  to  the  death : 

Thy  God  will  bear  thee  through. 
Grudge  not  the  heavy  cost. 

Faint  not  at  labor  here  : 
'Tis  but  a  lifetime  at  the  most ; 

The  day  of  rest  is  near." 

Justus  Hatch  Vinton  has  been  in  his 
heavenly  home  for  twenty  years  ;  but  his  mem- 
ory, with  that  of  his  no  less  devoted  wife, 
Calista  Holman,  is  still  tenderly  cherished  in 
the  hearts  of  those  who  know  any  thing  of 
the  first  thirty  years  of  mission  work  among  the 
Karens  of  Burmah. 

Rarely  have  two  kindred  souls  gone  forth  to 
their   life-work   so   peculiarly   adapted    to    the 


2  THE   VINTONS   AND   THE   KARENS. 

scenes  of  hardship  and  trial,  mingled  with  glo- 
rious successes,  as  were  these. 

Justus  H.  Vinton  was  born  in  Willington, 
Conn.,  Feb.  17,  1806.  Calista  Holman  was 
born  in  Union,  Conn.,  April  19,  1807.  Both 
emphatically  learned  to  bear  the  yoke  in  their 
youth.  Mr.  Vinton  was  early  led  to  Christ. 
When  only  ten  years  of  age,  he  was  converted, 
and  soon  after  united  with  the  Baptist  church 
at  Ashford,  Conn.,  and  even  at  that  age  evinced 
many  of  the  traits  which  made  his  after-life 
such  a  grand  success. 

At  the  age  of  sixteen,  the  increasing  gravity 
of  his  demeanor  and  the  fervency  of  his  devo- 
tion awakened  apprehension  in  the  mind  of  his 
mother,  who  feared  that  it  might  be  the  result 
of  failing  health  ;  but,  in  reply  to  her  question- 
ings as  to  the  cause  of  his  changed  conduct,  he 
answered,  "  Mother,  '  woe  be  unto  me  if  I  preach 
not  the  gospel.'  "  This  was  the  first  intimation 
he  had  given  to  any  one  of  his  determination  to 
enter  the  work  of  the  ministry. 

In  the  year  1826,  when  scarcely  twenty  years 
of  age,  he  entered  Hamilton  Literary  and  Theo- 
logical Institution. 

He  had,  some  time  before  going  to  Hamil- 
ton, offered  himself  to  the  church  at  Ashford 


EARLY    YEARS.  3 

for  license  to  preach.  Strange  to  say,  there 
was  some  hesitancy  in  granting  him  a  license, 
owing  to  the  remarkable  absence  of  all  self- 
assertion  upon  the  part  of  the  candidate.  The 
venerable  John  G.  Wightman,  who  was  present, 
was  requested  by  the  brethren  to  decide  for 
them.  He  replied  that  he  had  no  doubt  as  to 
the  advisability  of  licensing  the  young  man  to 
preach.  He  was  convinced  that  he  had  the 
grace  of  God  in  his  heart ;  and  that,  as  no  babe 
was  born  six  feet  high,  there  was  a  reasonable 
hope  that  the  young  brother  would  grow. 

Strange  that  the  brethren  should  have  hesi- 
tated to  license  one,  of  whom  the  record  of 
Madison  University  says,  *'  He  was  pre-emi- 
nently a  man  of  revival-power ;  and  probably 
no  single  life  in  Burmah  has  shown  larger 
results  in  the  ingathering  of  souls  to  Christ." 

In  1829,  after  the  most  careful  thought,  he 
appointed  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer,  in  order 
that  he  might  learn  his  duty  with  regard  to  de- 
voting himself  to  preaching  in  the  t/aen  sparse- 
ly settled  West.  In  a  letter  written  to  his  par- 
ents he  says,  "When  the  day  came,  I  retired 
that  I  might  be  quite  alone  with  God,  that  thus 
I  might,  with  more  freedom,  pour  out  my  soul 
before  him  in  fervent  supplication  for  his  Spirit 


4  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

to  guide  me  in  the  decision  I  was  about  to  make 
as  to  the  field  of  my  future  labor.  Here  it  was, 
while  upon  my  knees  before  the  Lord,  that  I 
received  my  first  impressions  that  it  would  be 
my  duty  to  leave  my  native  land,  and  go  far 
away  to  the  benighted  heathen,  that  I  might 
preach  among  them  the  unsearchable  riches  of 
Christ.  I  had  previously  designed  to  spend  the 
day  in  prayerful  consideration  of  the  claims  of 
the  West ;  but  at  this  time  I  was  so  strongly 
impressed  that  it  would  be  my  duty  to  go  to 
Burmah,  that  during  the  day  I  could  think  of 
little  else  but  the  forlorn  condition  of  that 
deluded  and  infatuated  people." 

Fearful  lest  he  might  be  mistaken,  and  being 
continually  urged  by  some  of  his  fellow-stu- 
dents who  were  under  appointment  to  the  West, 
and  were  anxious  to  have  him  accompany  them, 
he  'concluded  to  defer  definite  decision  for  a 
year.  At  the  end  of  this  period  he  reconsid- 
ered all  the  arguments  presented,  and  decided 
to  go  to  Burmah.  From  that  moment  he  never 
wavered.  His  conviction  became  stronger, 
until,  as  he  says,  his  whole  soul  "  became  ab- 
sorbed in  the  delightful  anticipation  of  carrying 
to  benighted  Burmah  the  news  of  an  ascended 
Saviour."     He  paid   the  expenses   of   his    col- 


STUDENT    LIFE.  5 

lege  course  by  teaching  district  and  singing 
schools,  and  by  supplying  churches  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Hamilton.  He  apologizes,  in 
a  letter  to  his  mother,  for  not  having  written 
home  for  several  months,  saying  that  his  studies 
had  been  pressing  him  very  hard,  and  that 
every  Saturday  he  had  ridden  thirty  miles  to 
supply  a  destitute  church.  In  other  letters  he 
speaks  of  teaching  district-schools  for  twelve 
dollars  per  month  ;  and  in  one  letter  he  congrat- 
ulates himself  greatly  on  having  **by  judicious 
firmness  "  secured  the  privilege  of  boarding  all 
the  time  at  one  place. 

His  singing-schools  were  very  popular,  and 
are  still  remembered  by  older  residents  in  the 
vicinity  of  Hamilton. 

It  has  been  said  that  "there  never  was  a 
Vinton  who  could  not  sing ; "  and  the  rich,  full 
voice  with  which  God  had  blessed  him,  not 
only  helped  to  supply  his  scanty  purse  while  a 
student,  but  in  the  jungles  of  Burmah  it  won 
the  heart  of  many  a  wild  Karen  ;  and  thousands 
of  redeemed  souls  in  glory  to-day  could  testify 
that  Mr.  Sankey  was  not  the  first  who  ever 
thought  of  "singing  the  gospel." 

At  this  time  his  letters  home  were  upon  one 
topic,    and    that    was   religion.     Frequently   is 


6  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

the  record  made  of  the  wonderful  way  in  which 
God  had  blessed  his  labors  :  in  one  revival,  over 
seventy  were  converted  within  three  weeks. 
Many  times  he  notes  the  fact  that  the  singing- 
school  had  been  turned  into  a  prayer-meeting. 

At  one  time  his  district-school  became  the 
scene  of  a  precious  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  This  was  at  Laurens,  Otsego  County, 
N.Y.  From  the  work  there  begun,  over  fifty  in 
the  town  alone  were  converted  at  the  date  of 
his  letter ;  and  the  work  continued  for  months 
after. 

These  facts  are  not  recorded  as  strange,  but 
simply  to  show  the  spirit  of  the  man.  What 
more  unlikely  field  for  divine  grace  than  a 
country  singing-school,  unless,  perhaps,  it  be 
the  ordinary  district-school  of  forty  years  ago  ? 

Once,  when  home  on  a  vacation,  he  heard  of 
a  church  that  had  become  so  cold  and  lifeless 
that  it  had  ceased  to  hold  any  public  service. 
He  went  to  the  place,  and  gave  out  an  appoint- 
ment to  preach.  As  might  have  been  antici- 
pated, when  the  hour  of  service  came,  not  a 
soul  was  present  save  himself.  Without  ap- 
pearing to  think  that  he  should  have  been  dis- 
couraged, he  sat  down  upon  the  church-steps, 
and  began  to  sing.     Soon  a  crowd  gathered ; 


REVIVAL   WORK.  *J 

Upon  which  he  invited  them  into  the  church, 
and  preached  so  fervently,  that  a  large  number 
were  convicted,  and  a  revival  began  which 
extended  throughout  the  whole  township. 

It  was  during  this  time  that  his  beloved  sister 
Belinda,  who  had  cherished  the  desire  of  accom- 
panying him  to  Burmah,  was  suddenly  smitten 
down  by  disease,  and  died.  He,  at  Hamilton, 
heard  only  that  she  was  very  ill.  Unable  to 
leave  at  the  time,  he  wrote  the  following  touch- 
ing letter  :  — 

Dear  Sister  Belinda, —  From  a  letter  received 
from  our  dear  parents,  I  learn  that  you  are  upon  a  bed 
of  sickness,  perhaps  upon  a  bed  of  death.  This  is 
what  I  had  least  anticipated.  I  have  for  a  number  of 
weeks  been  thinking  of  writing  to  you  upon  the  glorious 
theme  that  has  so  enchanted  both  our  hearts  ;  but  alas  ! 
it  seems  that  I  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  counselling 
and  encouraging  you  respecting  your  future  labors  here 
on  earth.  Allow  me,  then,  dear  sister,  to  say  one  word 
with  reference  to  your  work  above.  My  poor  soul  almost 
breaks  forth  with  ecstasy  while,  for  a  moment,  I  allow 
my  imagination  to  carry  me  forward,  to  witness  your 
employment  when  you  shall  have  dropped  this  clay  tene- 
ment, and  your  disembodied  spirit  shall  have  soared 
away  to  breathe  the  pure  and  holy  atmosphere  of  heaven. 
There  shall  you  be  introduced  into  the  presence  of  your 
once  suffering,  now  glorified  Saviour.  You  shall  see 
him  as  he  is.     You  shall  be  permitted  to   gaze  on  his 


8  THE   VINTONS    AND   THE    KARENS. 

uncreated  beauties,  and  vie  with  the  angels  in  praising 
your  Redeemer. 

But  what  is  that  I  see  just  before  you  ?  It  is  a  dark 
and  lonely  vale  ;  but  fear  it  not,  my  sister.  Come,  let  us 
walk  together  to  the  entrance  of  this  dark  valley. 

Does  your  courage  seem  to  fail  you  ?  Lean  upon 
that  tried  arm :  it  will  sustain  you.  Are  you  disheartened 
at  the  ruggedness  of  the  way  ?  Cheer  up  your  drooping 
spirits  :  the  way  is  short,  and  heavenly  music  shall  attend 
your  course,  and  scatter  all  the  gloom.  And  when  heart 
and  flesh  shall  fail  you,  when  friends  C2n  accompany  you 
no  farther,  then  angel-forms  shall  guide  you,  and,  more 
blessed  than  all  else  beside,  Jesus  the  Saviour  shall  be 
with  you,  and  lead  you  by  living  fountains  of  waters.  .  .  . 
Allow  me  one  word  with  regard  to  your  encounter 
with  the  last  enemy.  Death.  Your  victory  and  future 
triumph  are  secure.  It  is  true  that  the  enemy  you  will 
encounter  is  haggard  in  his  form;  but  be  not  afraid  of 
him.  His  deadly  power  has  been  taken  from  him ;  so 
that  all  he  can  do  is  but  to  cut  the  cord  which  binds  you 
here  to  earth,  and  free  your  captive  soul,  to  be  with 
Christ.  Meet  him,  then,  dear  sister,  fearlessly.  Meet 
him  with  a  shout  of  victory ;  and,  as  you  enter  on  the 
contest,  say  triumphantly,  "  O  Death  !  where  is  thy  sting? 
O  grave  !  where  is  thy  victory  ?  Thanks  be  to  God,  who 
giveth  us  the  victory,  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

And  should  you  for  a  moment  seem  to  fall  beneath 
his  power,  look  away  to  Jesus,  and  cry  exultingly,  "  Re- 
joice not  over  me,  O  mine  enemy!  Though  I  fall,  I  shall 
arise  again  ! "  and  Jesus,  yes,  dear  sister,  Jesus,  will  surely 
bring  you  off  victorious.  Oh,  how  that  blessed  thought 
lifts  the  soul  above,  and  fits  it  for  its  exit ! 


SISTER  S   DEATH. 


9 


I  have  written  you,  dear  sister,  as  though  I  should 
never  see  you  again  till  we  meet  in  heaven.  Still  the 
Lord  may  yet  allow  you  the  privilege  of  serving  him 
upon  some  heathen  shore  ;  and  this  may  be  to  fit  you  for 
his  work.  God  grant  it  may  be  so !  But,  should  it  be 
otherwise,  he  may  allow  your  spirit  to  go  and  visit 
Burmah,  and  there  witness  the  trophies  of  his  grace; 
yes,  and  thence  again  to  ascend  to  heaven,  carrying  the 
blest  intelligence  that  heathen  souls  are  coming  home 
to  God. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

J.  H.  Vinton. 

She  died  a  few  days  after  the  date  of  this 
letter.  Her  youngest  sister,  Miranda,  filled  the 
place  by  her  brother's  side,  which  this  sad 
death  left  vacant,  when  in  1841  she  joined  the 
Maulmain  Karen  mission. 


10  THE   VINTONS   AND   THE   KARENS. 


CHAPTER   II. 

"Must  I  be  smitten,  Lord? 
Ai-e  gentler  measures  vain  ? 
Must  1  be  smitten,  Lord? 
Can  nothing  save  but  pain  ? 

"  Then  the  fierce  tempest  broke : 
I  knew  from  whom  it  came ; 
I  read  in  that  sharp  stroke 
A  Father's  hand  and  name." 

During  these  years  of  preparation  through 
which  Justus  Vinton  was  passing,  we  find  the 
young  girl  who  was  to  be  his  future  wife  under- 
going a  peculiar  experience,  and  one  which  has 
rarely  been  equalled. 

She  had  been  unusually  active  and  energetic 
as  a  child,  but  in  her  sixteenth  year  she  was 
prostrated  by  a  severe  and  protracted  illness. 

For  more  than  two  years  she  was  completely 
helpless,  and  unable  to  rise  from  her  bed.  Her 
mind  was  filled  with  rebellious  thoughts  against 
God,  who,  she  sometimes  felt,  had  created  her 
only  to  suffer. 


CALISTA    HOLMAN.  II 

However,  the  Holy  Spirit  was  pleased  to 
make  her  affliction  a  means  of  grace.  She  be- 
gan to  have  juster  views  of  her  heavenly  Father, 
and  at  last  submitted  entirely  to  his  will,  ac- 
knowledging that  it  was  better  to  suffer  the 
will  of  God  than  to  be  left  to  follow  her  own 
way.  The  duty  of  baptism  presented  itself  to 
her  ;  though  it  seemed  to  be  an  impossible  thing 
for  her,  convinced  as  she  was  that  it  was  only 
rightfully  administered  by  immersion.  Her 
heart,  however,  was  so  determined,  that  her 
friends  consented  to  her  having  an  interview 
with  Elder  Grow,  who  was  then  preaching  at 
West  Woodstock,  four  miles  from  her  home. 

He  has  given,  in  his  journal,  the  following 
account  of  the  interview  and  her  subsequent 
baptism  :  — 

"  Calista  Holman  had  been  very  sick,  and  to  human 
appearance  would  never  recover.  I  was  invited  to  visit 
her.  She  was  brought  in  a  chair  into  the  room  where  I 
was,  as  she  was  unable  to  walk,  to  relate  her  Christian 
experience.  Such  an  experience  I  never  heard  before 
nor  since.  Her  mother  asked  me  if  it  would  not  injure 
her  to  be  baptized.  I  answered,  '  Just  according  to  her 
faith.'  She  herself  believed  it  to  be  her  duty,  and  re- 
quested me  to  baptize  her.  A  meeting  was  appointed  at 
a  house  near  the  water ;  and  after  the  sermon  she  was 
wrapped  in  a  buffalo-robe,  and  carried  in  a  sleigh  to  the 
water-side  (it  was  in  the  month  of  March). 


12  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE   KARENS. 

"  I  first  baptized  three  of  her  sisters.  I  then  asked 
her,  *  Do  you  think  you  could  walk?'  She  answered,  '  I 
think  I  can,  a  little.'  Supported  by  Deacon  Seagrave 
on  one  side,  and  myself  on  the  other,  she  entered  the 
water,  and  was  baptized. 

"  She  was  then  carried  back  to  the  house.  One  of 
the  deacons  said  it  was  best  to  give  her  the  hand  of 
fellowship  at  that  time,  for  she  would  never  be  able  to 
meet  with  the  church.  When  I  stood  by  her  bedside 
to  give  her  the  hand  of  fellowship,  I  never  enjoyed  a 
season  like  it.  It  appeared  to  me  that  the  whole  house 
was  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost." 

The  ordinance  of  the  Lord's  Supper  was  then 
administered  at  her  earnest  request.  She  said 
she  wished  to  remember  her  Lord's  death  once 
before  she  died.  During  the  administration 
Elder  Grow  said,  **This  is  our  sister's  first  com- 
munion, and  it  will  probably  be  her  last.  We 
now  receive  her  into  the  church  militant :  she 
will  soon  be  with  the  church  triumphant." 

To  her  friends  it  seemed  like  a  funeral  ser- 
vice. To  her  it  was  the  beginning  of  a  new 
life.  She  began  to  recover  from  that  day  ;  and 
the  next  morning  she  arose  from  her  bed  with- 
out assistance,  for  the  first  time  in  more  than 
two  years. 

Her  family  physician,  himself  not  a  Baptist, 
cheerfully  adds  his  testimony  to  the  fact  of  her 


CONSECRATION.  1 3 

recovery  dating  from  her  baptism.  So  far  from 
being  "about  to  enter  the  church  triumphant," 
she  had  thirty  years  of  Christian  warfare  before 
her.  The  frail  girl  of  eighteen,  whose  baptism 
was  looked  upon  as  the  last  important  act  of  her 
life,  was  destined  to  cross  the  ocean,  and  for 
thirty  years  to  endure  hardships  and  perform  an 
amount  of  labor  which  would  have  broken  down 
an  ordinary  constitution. 

The  venerable  widow  of  Deacon  Seagrave, 
above  mentioned,  still  survives,  and  is  living  in 
Providence,  R.I.  She  was  present  at  the  bap- 
tism ;  and,  from  her  vivid  recollection  of  all  the 
circumstances  of  that  wonderful  scene,  we  have 
reproduced  some  of  the  details  above  given. 

Calista  Holman  was  no  sooner  restored  to 
health,  than  she  began  to  think  that  her  life 
was  given  her  for  a  noble  purpose.  After  much 
prayer  and  self-examination,  she  resolved  to 
devote  herself  to  the  work  of  foreign  missions. 
She  was  thrown  upon  her  own  resources  for  the 
completion  of  her  education,  and  that  special 
training  necessary  to  fit  her  for  the  work  of  her 
life.  By  teaching  and  studying  alternately,  she 
obtained,  however,  an  education  far  in  advance 
of  that  attained  by  most  women  of  that  day. 
She  was  particularly  proficient  in  the  languages, 


14  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

obtaining  such  a  knowledge  of  Latin,  Greek, 
and  Hebrew,  that,  when  married  to  Mr.  Vinton, 
he  found  her  far  in  advance  of  himself  in  ac- 
quaintance with  these  tongues. 

We  do  not  know  what  his  opinion  was  in  re- 
gard to  a  wife  knowing  more  than  her  husband  : 
but  we  find  that  he  did  not  think  it  well  for  a 
man  to  know  less  than  his  wife ;  for  he  at  once 
commenced  an  extended  course  of  private  study, 
to  which  he  rigidly  adhered  for  years  in  the 
midst  of  the  most  arduous  missionary  labors. 

On  April  9,  1834,  Mr.  Vinton  and  Miss  Hol- 
man  were  married.  Miss  Holman  had  previ- 
ously spent  a  year  at  Hamilton  studying  Karen 
in  company  with  Mr.  Vinton,  preparatory  to 
their  departure  for  Burmah. 

Ko-chet-thaing  (afterward  Mr.  Vinton's  right- 
hand  man  in  jungle-work  and  preaching)  had 
come  to  this  country  a  short  time  previous  with 
Rev.  Mr.  Wade.  He  was  their  teacher  in  this 
new  language.  Mr.  Vinton,  in  a  letter  to  his 
parents,  gives  an  amusing  account  of  the  diffi- 
culties in  their  way. 

"  You  will  wish  to  know  something  of  our  studies. 
Well,  then,  we  are  studying  a  language  without  a  gram- 
mar or  a  dictionary.  The  Karens  have  never  had  a 
written   language  until  very  recently,  and  even  now  all 


STUDYING    KAREN.  1 5 

we  can  boast  of  is  an  alphabet  and  a  little  tract  of  six 
pages.  The  courses  we  are  obliged  to  pursue  in  obtain- 
ing the  Karen  equivaleats  of  Enghsh  words  are  various. 

"  Sometimes  we  point  to  an  object,  and  say  in  Karen 
'  n '  koh  de  le  ? '  '  What  do  you  call  that  ? '  and  our  teaclier 
will  give  us  the  Karen  word,  which  we  will  insert  in  our 
dictionary.  Often  he  brings  us  objects,  and  gives  us 
their  names  in  Karen.  To-day  he  brought  us  a  grasshop- 
per, and  gave  us  its  Karen  name.  He  then  made  it  both 
hop  and  fly,  so  I  was  furnished  with  two  more  words. 
Then,  calling  me  out  to  see  a  hen  and  chickens,  he  gave 
me  their  names;  and  by  imitating  the  clucking  of  the  hen, 
the  crowing  of  the  cock,  and  the  peeping  of  the  chicks, 
he  furnished  us  with  Karen  words  signifying  these  sev- 
eral acts. 

"  When  these  methods  fail  we  have  recourse  to 
brother  Wade.  We  tell  him  the  words  or  phrases  for 
which  we  wish  the  Karen,  and  he  converses  with  Ko- 
chet-thaing  in  Burmese  ;  and  through  the  medium  of  that 
language  we  obtain  what  we  want  in  Karen.  So  you  see, 
we  have  a  most  difficult  task  before  us. 

"  Our  teacher,  however,  is  most  patient,  and  does  all 
he  can  to  help  us  to  a  knowledge  of  the  language.  He 
tells  us  that  we  '  go  much  straighter '  than  we  did." 

What  a  pity  that  this  poor  unlearned  Karen 
teacher  did  not  then,  in  1833,  steal  a  march  on 
Heness  and  Dr.  Sauveur,  and  publish  a  treatise 
upon  the  **  natural  method  "  of  learning  a  lan- 
guage ! 

The  result  of  this  training:  was  that  Mr.  Vin- 


l6  THE   VINTONS   AND   THE   KARENS. 

ton  acquired  the  Karen  so  idiomatically,  that  in 
after-years  he  was  an  authority  among  the  na- 
tives themselves,  for  the  use  of  Karen  phrases ; 
and  they  were  accustomed  to  say,  as  the  high- 
est praise,  to  later  Karen  missionaries,  "You 
speak  the  language  almost  as  well  as  teacher 
Vinton." 

In  July,  1834,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vinton  set  sail  in 
the  good  ship  *'  Cashmere,"  for  Burmah,  in  com- 
pany with  the  Wades,  the  Howards,  the  Deans, 
the  Osgoods,  and  others.  They  had  a  long  voy- 
age of  one  hundred  and  sixty  days,  and  (a  com- 
mon experience  in  those  days)  suffered  much 
from  shortness  of  provisions  and  lack  of  water. 
To  judge  from  most  missionary  journals  of 
those  days,  American  ships  were  floating  famine 
hulks.  Most  of  the  party  suffered  greatly  from 
sea-sickness  ;  but  Mr.  Vinton  was  so  prostrated 
that  for  six  weeks  he  scarcely  left  his  berth,  and 
his  friends  feared  he  would  never  live  to  reach 
Burmah. 

Yet  during  this  time  of  weakness  and  suffer- 
ing, his  mind  dwelt  continually  upon  the  impen- 
itent condition  of  the  officers  and  crew  of  the 
ship ;  and,  although  unable  to  lift  his  head  from 
the  pillow,  he  spent  hours  in  wrestling  with 
God  in  prayer  for  their  salvation. 


REVIVAL   AT    SEA.  1 7 

In   a   letter  written    during   the  voyage    he 

says,  — 

"When  we  first  came  on  board  '  The  Cashmere,'  I  was 
unable  to  escape  the  conviction  that  we  had  something 
to  do  for  the  salvation  of  souls  before  we  should  reach 
Burmah.  We  had  proceeded,  however,  but  a  little  way, 
when  I  was  attacked  by  sea-sickness,  and  for  nine  weeks 
I  was  unable  to  preach.  As  I  began  to  get  better,  I  felt 
such  a  burning  solicitude  for  souls  as  I  hardly  ever  be- 
fore experienced,  —  a  solicitude  which  could  find  expres- 
sion only  in  groans  and  tears. 

"After  preaching  one  day,  when  I  was  helped  to  pour 
forth  the  fulness  of  my  soul  in  fervent  pleadings  with 
the  impenitent  to  come  without  delay  to  Christ,  I  was 
much  exhausted,  as  it  was  the  first  time  I  had  attempted 
to  stand  so  long.  I  retired  to  rest,  but  could  not.  I  had 
a  load  on  my  spirit  which  was  insupportable.  .  .  .  When 
I  could  restrain  the  bursting  emotions  of  my  heart  no 
longer,  I  threw  myself  upon  my  face  before  God,  and 
giving  vent  to  a  flood  of  tears  poured  forth  an  agonizing 
cry  for  mercy  upon  their  precious  souls." 

In  one  of  the  entries  in  his  journal  we  find 
these  words :  — 

"The  burden  on  my  soul  seems  all  but  unbearable. 
I  take  it  to  Jesus,  and  yet  it  weighs  upon  me  till  I  feel 
crushed.  This  morning  I  looked  at  the  second  officer 
with  inexpressible  longings  that  he  should  be  a  Christian. 
I  thought  of  his  being  a  servant  of  the  Devil,  and  of  his 
having  given  to  the  prince  of  hell  that  which  belonged 


1 8  THE    VINTONS   AND    THE    KARENS. 

to  God ;  and  my  cry  was  that  God,  for  the  sake  of  his 
dear  Son,  would  come  and  save  his  soul.  In  the  after- 
noon I  was  so  oppressed,  I  knew  not  what  to  do.  I  went 
to  my  stateroom,  and  there  besought  the  Lord  for  Jesus' 
sake  to  send  his  Holy  Spirit  on  board  '  The  Cashmere.' " 

Nor  was  he  alone  in  his  longings.  In  Mrs. 
Vinton's  journal  we  find  the  same  anxiety  re- 
peatedly expressed.  She  speaks  of  a  remarka- 
ble scene,  when  Mr.  Vinton  was  preaching  from 
the  text,  **  Come,  for  all  things  are  now  ready ; " 
during  which  the  sailors  sat  spell-bound,  while 
he  spoke  of  salvation,  and  of  the  sending  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  strive  with  sinners.  A  sec- 
ond sermon  made  those  hardened  men  tremble, 
and  say  that  it  seemed  like  the  day  of  judg- 
ment. 

That  night  the  first  officer  came  to  Mrs. 
Vinton,  and  told  her  he  had  given  his  heart  to 
God.  The  captain  came  out  upon  the  Lord's 
side  shortly  after,  and  from  that  time  the  Holy 
Spirit  was  present  with  continually  increasing 
power.  The  steward,  the  supercargo,  and  a 
number  of  the  sailors  were  converted. 

The  hearts  of  this  faithful  band  of  missiona- 
ries were  made  glad,  not  only  by  seeing  souls 
converted  as  the  fruit  of  their  labors  and 
prayers,  but  also  by  the  earnestness  with  which 


FIRST    FRUITS.  I9 

the  captain  and  officers  joined  in  the  meetings, 
and  plead  with  the  unconverted  to  yield  them- 
selves to  God. 

Of  one  occasion  Mrs.  Vinton  makes  the  fol- 
lowing record  in  her  journal  :  — 

"  This  evening  the  first  ojfficer  rose,  and  in  the  ful- 
ness of  his  heart  addressed  his  shipmates.  One  of  the 
sailors,  unconscious  of  time  or  place,  or  of  any  thing 
save  the  awful  fact  that  he  was  a  sinner  hasting  to  the 
judgment,  arose  at  the  same  time,  and  replied  to  every 
exhortation  of  the  officer^  saying,  '  I  will  be  for  God  ;  I 
will  serve  him  ;  I  will  watch  and  pray,'  &c.  Never  before 
did  I  see  a  sinner  so  closely  arraigned  before  his  own 
conscience  and  the  bar  of  God,  as  he." 


In  another  entry,  she  says,  — 

"At  the  meeting  to-night  the  captain  arose,  and  at- 
tempted to  speak,  making  a  confession  of  his  sins ;  but 
his  heart  was  too  full.  After  a  few  words,  he  sat  down, 
and  gave  vent  to  his  tears.  One  of  the  sailors,  to  whom 
Mr.  Vinton  had  given  a  Bible,  fell  on  his  knees,  and 
told  the  Lord  that  he  had  read  in  the  precious  book 
which  one  of  his  servants  had  given  him,  the  promise, 
'Ask  and  ye  shall  receive;'  and,  although  he  was  con- 
scious that  he  deserved  nothing  but  hell,  yet  he  was  en- 
couraged by  this  promise  to  plead  for  forgiveness  of  his 
sins.  Such  a  strain  of  penitence  and  contrition  for  sin 
was  then  poured  forth  as  I  never  before  heard." 


20  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

Truly  "  those  who  sow  in  tears  shall  reap 
in  joy  ;  "  and  the  power  of  agonizing  and  united 
prayer  was  never  more  plainly  manifested  than 
during  that  long  and  uncomfortable  voyage. 
Toward  the  latter  portion  of  the  voyage,  both 
provisions  and  water  ran  short ;  and  so  many 
of  the  crew  were  prostrated  by  scurvy,  that  the 
ladies  were  obliged  to  do  the  stewards'  work  in 
the  cabin,  and  the  missionaries  had  to  assist 
in  working  the  ship. 

The  parting  between  the  missionaries  and 
their  spiritual  children  must  have  been  affect- 
ing beyond  description.  Yet,  now  that  so  many 
of  that  company  are  gathered  on  the  heavenly 
shore,  how  blessed  must  it  be  for  them  to  re- 
call those  hours  spent  in  earnest  prayer,  and 
the  precious  ingathering  of  souls  which  fol- 
lowed ! 

We  doubt  not  also  that  Mr.  Vinton  rejoices  as 
much  as  he  expected  to  do,  that  there  is  a  land 
"  where  there  is  no  more  sea."  His  old  enemy, 
sea-sickness,  never  failed  to  meet  him  as  soon 
as  they  lost  sight  of  land,  and  they  rarely 
parted  company  until  the  anchor  was  down 
again. 


BEGINNING   THE   WORK.  21 


CHAPTER   III. 

"  Toil  on,  faint  not,  keep  watch  and  pray ; 
Be  wise  the  erring  soul  to  win ; 
Go  forth  into  the  world's  highway, 
Compel  the  wanderer  to  come  in." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vinton  landed  in  Maulmain 
in  December,  1834.  By  study  at  Hamilton  and 
during  the  voyage,  they  had  become  sufficiently 
familiar  with  the  language  to  admit  of  their 
beginning  work  at  once.  They  left  for  the  jun- 
gle within  a  week  of  their  arrival ;  and,  enter- 
ing a  district  where  the  gospel  had  never  been 
■proclaimed,  they  continued  for  three  months 
going  about  from  village  to  village  preaching 
Christ  to  the  multitudes. 

At  first  they  travelled  together  ;  but  they  re- 
ceived so  many  invitations  from  distant  villages, 
that  they  resolved  to  separate.  Each  took  a 
band  of  native  Christians,  and,  with  them  as 
guides  and  assistants,  went  from  village  to  vil- 
lage preaching  the  wonderful  story  of  the  cross. 
This  arrangement  was  found  so  effective,  that 


22  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

it  became  the  plan  for  their  future  work.  For 
twenty-four  years  they  carried  out  this  idea  of 
"dividing  to  conquer." 

Mrs.  Vinton  would  start  in  her  little  boat, 
accompanied  by  a  few  of  her  school-girls,  and 
spend  the  entire  season  in  travelling  from  vil- 
lage to  village  along  the  rivers,  telling,  in  her 
own  tender,  womanly  way,  the  story  of  redemp- 
tion to  the  crowds  who  gathered  around  her. 

With  this  work  of  preaching  the  gospel  was 
combined  the  ministering  to  the  sick,  the  mani- 
fold tender  offices  so  necessary  among  a  people 
without  a  single  correct  idea  concerning  the 
human  body  and  its  ailments,  and  also  the 
inculcation  of  that  most  needful  lesson  that 
"  cleanliness  was  next  to  godliness." 

She  also  established  female  prayer-meetings 
in  every  direction,  and  at  the  most  available' 
points  commenced  village  schools,  placing  them 
under  the  control  of  some  of  her  own  scholars. 

Meanwhile  Mr.  Vinton  would  be  pursuing 
the  same  plan  of  work  among  the  mountain- 
villages,  and  places  more  difficult  of  access. 
Occasionally  their  paths  would  cross.  In  the 
depths  of  the  jungle  they  would  meet,  travel 
together  for  a  little  while,  perhaps  visiting  some 
noted  Karen  prophet  or  prominent  opposer  of 


CHRISTIAN    KAREN    GIRLS. 


23 


CHRISTIAN   KAREN  GIRLS. 


JUNGLE-TRAVELLING.  25 

the  work ;  and  then  they  would  separate  again, 
perhaps  not  to  meet  until  the  labors  of  the 
season  were  over. 

It  does  not  seem  to  have  occurred  to  Mrs. 
Vinton  to  think  that  she  was,  in  the  estimation 
of  some  wise  theorists,  "only  a  missionary's 
wife."  She  felt  that  she  had  as  truly  a  vocation 
to  preach  the  gospel  as  had  her  husband.  Yet, 
withal,  her  work  throughout  her  life  was  done 
with  so  much  true  womanliness  and  modesty, 
that  we  think  St.  Paul  himself  would  have  been 
satisfied  that  she  did  not  **  usurp  authority  over 
the  man." 

The  long  absences  from  each  other  were  very 
trying  in  many  ways ;  not  only  because  of  the 
intense  attachment  which  continued  to  exist 
during  all  their  married  life,  —  an  attachment 
which  made  their  companionship  an  idyl,  —  but 
also  from  the  fact  that  jungle-travelling,  in 
those  days,  was  far  more  dangerous  and  arduous 
than  it  is  now.  Tigers  and  other  wild  animals 
were  very  abundant,  and  Mrs.  Vinton  repeatedly 
speaks  of  narrow  escapes  from  them.  Several 
times  she  notes  the  fact  that  a  tiger  had  come 
and  taken  cattle  from  under  the  open  native 
house  in  which  she  was  sleeping,  and  when 
nothing  but  the  protecting  hand  of  God  pre- 


26  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

vented  the  ravenous  beast  from  leaping  upon 
the  open  veranda,  and  taking  one  of  the  un- 
conscious sleepers. 

Jungle-work  was  not  all  a  triumphal  proces- 
sion. In  many  places  the  Burmans  had  so 
prejudiced  the  villagers  by  misrepresentations 
and  frightful  stories,  that  the  missionaries  found 
it  impossible  to  obtain  food. 

One  story,  widely  circulated,  was  that  the 
white  missionaries  stole  children  to  make  slaves 
of  them,  or  to  eat  them.  Sometimes  an  entire 
village,  on  the  approach  of  the  missionary, 
would  flee  into  the  jungle,  tying  the  grass  to- 
gether across  the  pathway,  thus  giving  the  mis- 
sionary a  significant  warning  that  if  he  followed 
them  it  was  at  the  risk  of  his  life. 

The  country  was  in  an  unsettled  state ;  and 
bands  of  robbers  roamed  about,  attacking  soli- 
tary boats  and  defenceless  villages,  carrying  off 
the  women  and  children  into  slavery.  This 
rendered  travelling,  without  a  strong  escort, 
unsafe.  Mrs.  Vinton  writes,  in  a  letter  to  Mrs. 
Baron  Stow :  — 

"  I  cannot  have  time  to  describe  all  the  interesting 
scenes  of  the  past  three  months.  We  have  been  travel- 
ling constantly,  and  have  been  on  a  visit  to  the  great 
Karen  prophet,  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from 
Maulmain. 


KO-THA-BYU    MEMORIAL    HALL. 


27 


THE    KARENS.  29 

"  The  Karens  in  general  listen  with  great  interest  when 
we  tell  them  of  God,  and  frequently  exclaim,  'That  is 
what  our  forefathers  told  us  !  That  is  right !  That  is 
good  ! '  I  have  endeavored  to  discover  how  their  fore- 
fathers came  by  a  knowledge  of  God ;  but  they  always 
answer,  '  Our  ancestors  knew  him  from  the  beginning, 
but  when  they  sinned  against  him  he  hid  himself  from 
them;  and  their  descendants  after  them  knew  not  how 
to  worship  him;  and,  as  he  did  not  protect  them  from 
evil  spirits,  they  were  obliged  to  offer  sacrifices  to  them 
to  appease  their  wrath.' 

"  They  tell  us  of  many  attempts  '  to  return  to  the  wor- 
ship of  the  God  who  made  the  earth,  and  the  heavens, 
and  all  things.' 

"These  efforts  have  sometimes  been  continued  for 
months,  and  even  years ;  but  the  poor  Karens  have  inva- 
riably fallen  a  sacrifice  to  the  brutal  persecution  of  the 
Burmans. 

"  One  village  of  nearly  a  thousand  inhabitants  wor- 
shipped God  in  this  way  for  some  time,  unknown  to  the 
Burmans ;  but,  when  the  latter  learned  the  fact,  they  sent 
an  armed  force  to  destroy  the  village.  Some  of  the 
Karens  inquired  of  their  leader  if  they  should  fight. 
'No,'  replied  the  chief:  'it  is  inconsistent  with  the  wor- 
ship of  our  God  to  fight.  We  will  cast  ourselves  upon 
his  protection.'  They  then  opened  their  gates,  brought 
forth  their  weapons  of  defence,  and  laid  them  at  the  feet 
of  their  enemies.  Thus  defenceless,  they  were  immedi- 
ately slain  by  their  cruel  oppressors,  the  Burmans.' 

This  record  seems  incredible ;  and  yet  in  the 
year  185 1,  —  even  so  late  a  date. as  that,  —  the 


30  THE   VINTONS    AND    THE   KARENS. 

Burmese  viceroy  of  Rangoon  told  Mr.  Kincaid 
that  he  would  instantly  shoot  the  first  Karen 
whom  he  found  that  could  read. 

The  eagerness  which  the  scattered  communi- 
ties of  Karens  manifested  to  hear  of  the  **  long- 
lost  law  of  their  God  "  was  most  gratifying ; 
but  it  made  the  hearts  of  the  lonely  laborers 
ache  to  see  how  little  they  could  accomplish 
among  so  many.  Wherever  they  went,  they 
were  urged  beyond  measure  to  go  to  other 
villages,  and  tell  the  "good  news"  there;  and 
so  deeply  did  the  magnitude  of  their  labors 
press  upon  them,  that  Mrs.  Vinton  writes :  — 

"  Oh,  could  we  be  divided,  and  go  a  thousand  ways 
at  once,  then  might  the  poor  Karens  hear  the  gospel. 
When  I  reflect  upon  the  earnestness  of  this  dear  people 
to  receive  the  gospel,  while  so  few  can  hear  it  from  our 
lips,  my  heart  sinks  within  me. 

"  A  large  party  of  Karens  have  just  been  here ;  and 
when  they  were  told  that  Mr.  Vinton  had  gone  by  land 
to  Newville,  and  that  I  had  gone  down  the  river,  they 
said  they  feared  they  would  never  see  us.  They  told 
Ko-chet-thaing  that  they  had  heard  that  God  had  shown 
mercy  to  the  Karens,  and  had  sent  them  his  word  and 
teachers;  and  they  had  long  been  inquiring  where  we 
were.  Sometimes  they  would  hear  of  us  at  Maulmain, 
sometimes  at  Belu-Gyun,  sometimes  at  Chummerah, 
sometimes  at  La  Kee's  village ;  but  they  never  could  find 


WAITING   FOR   THE    GOSPEL.  3 1 

US.  Their  *  younger  brother,  the  white  man,' had  come, 
and  had  brought  the  long-lost  law  of  their  God ;  but  to 
them  it  was  all  in  vain.  They  remained  in  their  sins, 
poverty,  and  wretchedness,  and  should  go  down  to  hell 
if  the  teachers  did  not  pity  them.  They  begged  Ko- 
chet-thaing  to  intercede  with  us,  that  we  would  remain 
in  one  place,  that  they  might  all  come  to  us. 

"  Ko-chet-thaing  was  much  moved  as  he  told  me  the 
sad  tale ;  and  I  could  not  refrain  from  tears.  A  chief  on 
the  Burman  border  is  praying  morning  and  evening  that 
God  will  send  the  teachers  that  way,  that  he  may  be 
baptized.  Lord,  what  are  we  among  so  many.?  Send, 
oh !  send  more  laborers  into  this  harvest!  " 

In  an  account  of  a  journey  taken  shortly 
after,  she  writes  :  — 

"  We  had  scarcely  set  our  feet  upon  the  shore,  before 
an  intelligent-looking  woman  asked  me  where  we  were 
going.  I  told  her  I  was  going  to  a  village  eight  miles 
inland,  to  tell  the  people  there  about  God.  She  inquired 
why  we  did  not  tell  the  villagers  present  about  God. 

"  I  told  her  I  could  not  stop  then,  as  I  had  appointed 
to  be  at  the  inland  village,  and  must  reach  there  before 
the  heat  became  too  great.  Her  countenance  fell,  but 
she  immediately  passed  on  before  us.  And,  when  we 
had  proceeded  about  a  mile,  we  reached  a  village,  and 
found  all  the  inhabitants  standing  in  the  road  to  receive 
us.  As  we  drew  near,  they  cried  out  to  us,  '  Tell  tis  of 
the  law  of  God  !     Tell  us  of  the  law  of  God  ! ' 

"  Such  was  their  entreaty,  that  we  were  compelled  to 
stop  about  half  an  hour,  and  preach  to  them,  promising 


32  THE   VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

that  we  would  come  back  to  them  at  some  future  time. 
At  the  next  village  the  people  gathered  around  me  with 
intense  interest  to  inquire  about  the  new  rehgion.  After 
talking  to  them  some  time,  I  spoke  of  prayer.  With 
great  earnestness,  they  asked,  '  How  shall  we  pray  ? '  I 
called  on  one  of  the  assistants  to  pray;  and,  as  he  com- 
menced, the  head  man  followed,  repeating  word  for  word. 
They  plead  with  great  earnestness  that  we  would  remain 
with  them  during  the  night,  that  they  might  call  in  the 
inhabitants  of  the  surrounding  villages,  that  they,  too, 
might  hear  of  God  and  heaven.  .  .  . 

"Two  miles  farther  on,  we  came  to  a  Pwo  Karen 
village.  We  went  at  once  to  the  house  of  the  chief;  but 
his  wife,  who  had  never  before  seen  a  white  person, 
would  not  permit  us  to  enter.  As  soon,  however,  as  the 
villagers  learned  who  we  were,  they  flocked  around  us, 
and  listened  attentively  to  the  word  of  God.  The  assist- 
ants were  so  moved  by  their  pressing  invitations  to  re- 
main, that  they  began  to  plead  with  me  to  remain  over 
sabbath.  In  vain  I  told  them  of  our  many  engagements, 
of  the  much  we  had  to  do  before  the  rains. 

"It  was  not  until  I  told  them  that  I  thought  Mr. 
Vinton  would  travel  there  during  the  rains,  that  I  could 
persuade  them  to  proceed.  That  evening  we  visited 
another  village,  and  spent  the  night  at  the  house  of  the 
chief. 

"We  had  a  large  and  deeply-interested  audience;  and 
although  I  closed  the  service  at  nine  o'clock,  yet  the 
assistants  continued  preaching  till  after  midnight,  and 
began  again  before  light. 

"  Although  we  had  to  return  to  the  boat  that  day,  and 
much  of  our  way  lay  through  burnt-over  forests,  yet  it 


JUNGLE    PREACHING.  33 

was  impossible  to  force  ourselves  away  from  the  people 
before  the  sun  had  become  quite  hot.  On  our  return  we 
met  several  companies  of  people,  who  showed  such  an 
anxiety  to  hear  the  word,  that,  when  the  assistants  were 
once  seated,  they  seemed  chained  to  the  spot. 

"  On  reaching  the  boat,  I  found  that  one  of  the  two 
men  I  had  left  to  watch  it  had  gone  off  to  a  distant 
village,  preaching.  It  appeared,  that,  the  night  previous, 
several  men  had  listened  to  the  gospel,  and  they  would 
not  be  content  until  their  friends  should  hear  it  also.  So 
they  over-persuaded  this  man  to  return  with  them,  and 
spend  two  or  three  days.  We  proceeded  up  the  river 
some  distance,  and  found  him  there  preaching  to  the 
villagers.  A  number  said  that  they  believed  in  this  reli- 
gion, and  would  worship  God. 

"  I  was  feeling  so  exhausted  from  over-exertion,  that  I 
felt  it  was  necessary  to  return  as  soon  as  I  conveniently 
could  to  Ko-chet-thaing's  village,  not  only  for  rest,  but 
for  necessary  medicine.  I  had  also  in  the  boat  a  sick 
Karen  woman,  who  needed  attention  and  medicine  at 
once.  However,  we  felt  compelled  to  stop  at  another 
village,  where  the  people  had  been  having  a  great  '■nat 
feast'  (a  feast  in  honor  of  the  evil  spirits,  whom  the 
Karens  believe  to  be  the  cause  of  sickness,  misfortune, 
&c.,  if  angry  ;  and  of  good  fortune,  if  appeased). 

"  Hearing  of  my  arrival,  they  gathered  around  me  ; 
and  although  I  could  scarcely  stand,  or  even  sit  erect, 
yet  I  contrived  to  talk  to  them ;  and  they  listened  dur- 
ing the  whole  day,  each  one  assuring  me  that  they  would 
never  again  eat  to  the  w^/j,  but,  as  they  had  now  heard 
of  God,  they  would  with  one  consent  worship  him.  Not 
only  so ;  but  they  would  return  to  their  respective  vil- 


34  THE    VINTONS   AND    THE    KARENS. 

lages,  and  tell  their  friends  what  they  had  heard,  and 
persuade  them  to  worship  him  too." 

What  would  our  pastors  at  home  in  America 
give  to  have  the  message  they  bring  welcomed 
so  thankfully,  and  embraced  so  readily !  What 
would  they  give  to  know  that  every  one  of  their 
converts  became  at  once  a  preacher  of  right- 
eousness, and  carried  the  good  news  of  salva- 
tion to  some  other  waiting  soul ! 

The  work  of  preaching  the  gospel  among 
the  Karens  was  not,  however,  unmixed  with 
discouragements.  Mrs.  Vinton  in  her  journal 
speaks  of  some  villages  where  the  people  re- 
fused to  receive  her,  and  where  even  the  women 
retreated  to  the  houses,  and  pulled  up  the  lad- 
ders after  them  (a  ladder  or  a  notched  stick 
being  the  usual  mode  of  entrance  to  a  heathen 
Karen  house).  One  such  scene  she  thus 
describes  in  her  characteristic  way:  — 

"  We  have  just  stopped  at  a  Pwo  Karen  village  where, 
for  days  past,  multitudes  have  assembled  to  worship  the 
pagoda."  [Many  Pwos  and  some  Sgaus,  the  two  main 
septs  of  Karens,  had  embraced  Buddhism,  at  least  nomi- 
nally, before  the  arrival  of  missionaries.] 

"The  assembly  was  just  breaking  up.  It  was  impos- 
sible to  get  even  a  hearing,  for  every  one  was  busy  about 
his  own  matters  ;  and,  besides,  they  did  not  like  to  hear, 


MARTABAN    AND    ROBBERS    POINT. 


35 


DISCOURAGEMENTS.  37 

that,  instead  of  getting  merit,  they  had  been  sinning 
against  God,  and  if  unrepentant  they  would  be  lost.  I 
went  up  to  the  village,  thinking  perhaps  they  would  listen 
at  their  homes ;  but,  seeing  me  coming,  they  pulled  up 
their  ladders,  and  set  their  dogs  on  me.  On  returning  to 
the  boat,  I  could  not  help  inquiring  if  one  of  that  vast 
number  could  be  saved.  They  are  far  more  hopeless 
than  were  Ezekiel's  dry  bones  :  for  they  would  lie  pass- 
ive when  prophesied  over;  but  these,  as  if  the  Devil 
did  not  like  to  be  attacked  upon  his  own  ground,  were 
ready  to  burst  with  rage  at  us  for  trying  to  tell  them  '  a 
more  excellent  way.' 

"  Last  night  we  were  at  a  village  where  we  found  a 
widow  whose  husband  was  killed  a  few  weeks  ago  in 
a  trap  set  for  wild  beasts.  Mr.  Vinton  and  I  had  repeat- 
edly urged  him  to  accept  of  Christ ;  but  he  invariably  told 
us  that  he  was  convinced  of  the  propriety  of  worship- 
ping God,  and  he  even  exhorted  others  to  repentance  ; 
but,  as  for  himself,  he  could  not  yet  leave  off  drink. 
Only  a  few  days  before  his  death,  Mr.  Vinton,  with  his 
usual  earnestness,  urged  him  to  accept  of  Christ  imme- 
diately, reminding  him  of  the  uncertainty  of  life.  He 
said  he  would  repent  by  and  by.  A  few  days  after, 
being  urged  by  some  of  his  relatives  to  go  to  a  nat  feast, 
he  went,  and  was  killed  on  the  way.  Those  who  set  the 
trap  offered  the  bereaved  widow  the  price  of  her  hus- 
band (about  two  hundred  dollars  according  to  Karen 
law) ;  but  she  refused,  and,  strange  to  say,  asks  another 
husband  in  his  stead. 

"  The  people  in  this  region  are  in  a  very  excited  state 
on  account  of  the  depredations  of  robbers. 

"  A  buffalo  came  running  into  the  village  to-day  with 


.38  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

a  spear  six  feet  long  sticking  in  his  back.  A  band  of 
about  two  hundred  robbers  from  the  Shan  country  have 
been  lurking  about  the  villages  for  several  days  past,  in 
order  to  steal  children,  and  sell  them  for  slaves.  They 
have  obtained  several  little  ones  already,  and  the  vil- 
lagers are  in  great  consternation  about  it. 

"  Oh,  my  sister !  you  do  not  know  how  to  appreciate 
your  peaceful  home.  You  do  not  know  what  it  is  to  go 
to  bed  at  night  knowing  that  robbers  are  lurking  around 
your  dwelling,  or  that  tigers  are  smelling  your  footsteps 
around  the  house,  and  waiting  for  their  prey.  They  have 
become  so  bold  at  Newville  that  they  will  go  up  a  ladder 
ten  feet  high,  seize  a  man  in  the  house,  and  carry  him 
off.  When  I  think  of  the  ten  thousand  dangers  to  which 
we  are  exposed,  I  wonder  that  we  are  still  alive." 


POWER    IN    PRAYER.  39 


CHAPTER    IV. 

"  Go,  labor  on,  spend  and  be  spent,  — 
Thy  joy  to  do  the  Father's  will : 
It  is  the  way  the  Master  went ; 

Should  not  the  servant  tread  it  still  ?'* 

Mr.  Vinton  was  a  man  of  strong  faith  and 
of  remarkable  power  in  prayer.  We  never 
heard  the  term  so  commonly  used  now,  "  gifted 
in  prayer,"  applied  to  him  ;  but  his  petitions 
were  wrestlings  with  God,  and  were  character- 
ized by  all  the  urgency  and  earnestness  with 
which  a  man  might  plead  for  his  life  or  that  of 
his  dearest  friend.  A  minister,  speaking  of  an 
occasion  when  he  heard  Elder  Swan  and  Mr. 
Vinton  praying  together,  says,  "  I  never  heard 
any  thing  like  it.  They  seemed  utterly  uncon- 
scious of  time  or  place.  They  appeared  to  be 
standing  face  to  face  with  God ;  and  they 
pleaded  with  him  for  lost  souls  in  such  a  way 
that  I  felt  convinced  that  that  was  prevailing 
prayer.'' 

Much   of    the   success   which    attended    the 


40  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

labors  of  these  two  eminent  men  of  God  was 
doubtless  owing  to  their  strong  faith  that  God 
heard  and  answered  prayer,  and  to  a  certain 
persistence  with  which  they  carried  out  their 
convictions  of  duty.  Some  men  called  it  ob- 
stinacy ;  but  many  redeemed  souls  to-day  are 
praising  God  for  that  very  obstinacy,  for  the 
persistence  with  which  they  labored  and  prayed, 
the  one  among  the  heathen  in  Burmah,  the 
other  among  the  gospel-hardened  sinners  of  our 
own  New  England. 

Which  was  the  more  difficult  field,  we  will 
not  now  undertake  to  say  ;  but  what  a  glorious 
meeting  it  will  be  when  these  two  life-long 
friends  clasp  hands  on  the  other  shore,  and 
together  recount  the  wonders  of  redemption, 
and  recall  the  many  hard-fought  battles  here 
on  earth,  and  greet  the  thousands  among  the 
redeemed  who  were  led  by  their  words  and 
prayers  to  Jesus  ! 

As  illustrative  of  Mr.  Vinton's  determina- 
tion when  he  believed  himself  to  be  in  the  way 
of  duty,  we  give  a  brief  account  of  his  visit  to 
a  noted  Karen  prophet,  as  taken  from  his  jour- 
nal :  — 

"  We  are  now  at  the  prophet's  village,  but  have  not 
yet  seen  him.     On  our  arrival  yesterday,  his  followers 


VISIT   TO   A    KAREN    PROPHET.  4I 

told  US  he  was  absent,  but  would  be  back  at  night. 
Night  came,  but  he  was  still  absent,  and  continues  to  be 
so,  if  the  word  of  the  villagers  can  be  relied  upon;  but, 
unfortunately,  no  two  individuals  agree  in  their  state- 
ments about  him.  It  is  probable  that  he  will  prevent  an 
interview  if  possible.  He  has  so  far  committed  himself, 
that  to  meet  me  would  be  to  his  disadvantage  ;  for  he 
has  asserted  that  I  am  his  older  brother,  Jesus  Christ, 
and  that  there  is  no  difference  between  his  sentiments 
and  mine. 

"The  villagers  appear  well:  they  listen  attentively, 
and  acknowledge  that  it  is  wrong  to  worship  pagodas, 
and  hold  nat  feasts ;  and  many  say  they  will  come  and 
worship  with  us  to-morrow." 

The  next  day  the  people  did  not  seem  so 
willing  to  listen.  None  came  to  worship  ;  but, 
on  visiting  some  of  the  principal  men  at  their 
homes,  they  professed  to  believe  the  truths  of 
religion,  but  said  they  dared  not  profess  it  pub- 
licly, because,  if  they  did,  the  Burmans  would 
kill  them.  They  proposed  to  worship  God  in 
secret,  and,  when  questioned,  to  say  that  they 
believed  as  the  Burmans  did ;  but,  when  told 
that  if  they  became  Jesus  Christ's  followers 
they  must  give  up  lying  and  deceiving,  they 
said,  "Well,  then,  we  cannot  be  his  disciples." 
They  began  to  inquire  when  Mr.  Vinton  was 
going  to  leave  ;  and  the  answer  was,  "  Not  till  I 


42  THE   VINTONS    AND   THE    KARENS. 

have  seen  your  prophet,  if  I  have  to  stay  here 
two  months." 

Several  days  passed,  and  still  the  prophet 
remained  absent.  All  the  favorable  indications 
disappeared,  and  the  villagers  seemed  to  have 
determined  that  they  would  have  nothing  to  do 
with  the  new  religion  if  they  must  come  out 
and  own  Christ  before  the  world.  An  excur- 
sion to  some  of  the  neighboring  villages,  how- 
ever, resulted  in  the  conversion  of  a  chief  and 
another  man,  who  frequently  visited  Mr.  Vin- 
ton at  his  boat.  They  were  so  eager  for  instruc- 
tion that  they  sometimes  remained  far  into  the 
night,  talking  about  God.  They  said,  "We  will 
worship  God.  If  the  Burmans  persecute  us  in 
one  place,  we  will  fly  to  another.  If  seized 
and  tortured,  we  will  sooner  die  than  deny  the 
Saviour." 

Yet  still  the  prophet's  followers  continued  to 
oppose  so  strongly,  and  they  showed  such  an 
evident  desire  to  get  rid  of  the  whole  party,  that 
Mr.  Vinton's  assistants  began  to  urge  him  to 
return  to  Maulmain  without  seeing  the  prophet. 

To  this,  however,  Mr.  Vinton  would  not 
listen  for  a  moment.  He  proposed,  instead,  a 
day  of  fasting  and  prayer,  that  God  would  pour 
out  his  Spirit  upon  the  opposers  of  his  truth, 


DAY  OF  FASTING  AND  PRAYER.      43 

and  turn  their  hearts  unto  himself.  To  this 
the  assistants  cheerfully  consented  ;  and  he  says 
in  his  journal,  — 

"  We  are  spending  to-day  in  looking  up  to  God  for 
his  blessing.  Shall  we  look  in  vain?  My  heart  dies 
within  me  at  the  thought.  O  Thou  who  hast  never  said 
to  the  seed  of  Jacob,  '  Seek  ye  me  in  vain,'  art  thou  not 
even  now  inviting  us  to  seek  the  Lord  till  he  come  and 
rain  righteousness  upon  us  ?  " 

The  next  day  the  indications  still  appeared 
unfavorable.     Mr.  Vinton  writes  :  — 

"  The  assistants,  to  a  man,  are  disheartened,  and  wish 
to  return.  I  told  them  to-day  I  could  not  go  yet,  but 
they  might  if  they  wished.  They  held  a  consultation, 
and  all  except  two  resolved  to  go.^  We  went  up  to  the 
village  as  usual  to  talk  to  the  people,  for  no  one  will  come 
to  us ;  but  we  could  not  obtain  a  hearing  from  a  single 
person.  If  we  went  into  their  houses,  the  people  would 
vacate  them,  and  leave  us  alone. 

"  If  we  visited  them  at  their  work,  they  would  either 
leave  it,  or  remain  silent  as  dumb  men.  After  sunset 
the  gongs  and  drums  began  to  beat;  and  the  cry  was 
raised,  'Away!  away  to  the  pagoda  to  worship!'  We 
went  back  to  the  boat ;  but  soon  a  messenger  came,  say- 
ing that  the  prophet  had  returned,  and  would  meet  us  at 
the  pagoda. 

*  One  of  these  was  Ko-chet-thaing,  the  first  Karen  Mr.  Vin- 
ton ever  saw,  and  from  whom  he  learned  the  language. 


44  THE   VINTONS   AND    THE    KARENS. 

"  When  introduced  to  him,  his  whole  manner  indicated, 
what  I  had  previously  suspected,  that  he  was  afraid  of 
me.  I  attacked  him  on  all  sides,  but  he  was  very  evasive. 
He  consented  to  all  that  I  urged,  save  to  give  up  his 
heathen  practices,  and,  with  his  followers,  to  become 
openly  the  servant  of  the  living  God.  To  this  he  said 
he  did  not  dare  do  so,  for  the  Burmans  would  in  that 
case  put  them  all  to  death.  He  is  a  cunning,  artful 
fellow,  and  has  undoubtedly  consented  to  see  me,  merely 
to  get  rid  of  us.  When  I  told  him  it  was  the  command 
of  Christ  to  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature,  he 
adroitly  replied,  '  The  people  here  have  heard.  Now  go 
and  preach  to  those  who  have  not  heard.' 

"  Our  interview  closed  with  the  most  pressing  invita- 
tion to  leave  the  place." 

One  would  think  that  by  this  time  Mr.  Vin- 
ton had  done  all  that  any  one  could,  and  that  he 
would  have  shaken  the  dust  of  that  village  from 
off  his  feet,  and  gone  his  way ;  especially  as 
the  assistants  came,  and  told  him  that  the  rice 
was  exhausted,  and  not  a  kernel  could  be  pur- 
chased in  the  prophet's  village.  But  to  their 
urgent  entreaties  Mr.  Vinton  answered,  **  If  we 
return  now,  nothing  will  be  effected ;  and  God 
has  not  brought  us  here  for  nothing." 

After  a  season  of  prayer,  the  assistants  con- 
sented to  remain  one  day  longer. 

And  now  mark  the  providence  of  God.     Not 


-       RESULTS.  45 

only  was  Mr.  Vinton's  presence  secretly  under- 
mining the  prophet's  influence,  as  will  appear  in 
the  close  of  this  narrative^  but  in  the  villages 
in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  prophet's 
home  the  Spirit  of  God  was  preparing  a  work, 
the  magnitude  of  which  at  the  time  was  not 
even  suspected. 

We  have  mentioned  on  page  42  the  conver- 
sion of  a  chief  and  one  follower.  In  the  after- 
noon of  the  "one  day  longer"  he  came  to  Mr. 
Vinton,  bringing  three  others  with  him,  to  hear 
more  of  the  new  religion.  Mr.  Vinton  went 
with  them  across  the  plain,  the  little  distance 
which  separated  the  boat  from  their  village,  and 
they  called  all  the  inhabitants  together. 

During  the  rest  of  the  afternoon  and  evening 
they  listened  to  the  preaching  of  the  word  ;  and 
the  entire  company  resolved  at  once  to  embrace 
the  truth,  and  serve  Christ. 

The  chief  said,  "  There  are  villages  all  around 
us  in  the  mountains,  which  have  never  heard 
the  word  of  God.  And  now  will  you  not  go 
on,  and  tell  them  the  '  good  news,'  so  that  they, 
too,  may  believe  and  be  saved  .? " 

Mr.  Vinton  had  not  come  prepared  to  stay 
over  night,  having  brought  no  bedding,  and  hav- 
ing even  left  his  coat  in  the  boat.     The  nights 


46  THE    VINTONS   AND   THE    KARENS. 

at  that  season  in  the  year  were  as  chilly,  among 
the  mountains,  as  they  are  here  in  October. 
However,  the  people  pressed  him  so  earnestly 
to  remain  with  them  that  night,  and  go  to  the 
other  villages  on  the  morrow,  that  he  consented. 
Let  us  give  the  account  of  the  night  in  his  own 
words  :  — 

"  I  am  here  without  shelter ;  still  I  am  comfortably 
provided  for.  The  Karens  have  built  a  rousing  fire, 
which  they  will  keep  burning  all  night,  by  the  side  of 
which  I  shall  in  a  few  moments  lay  me  down  upon  a  fine 
new  mat,  and  cover  me  with  a  piece  of  new  cloth  direct 
from  the  loom.  The  inquiry  was  made  a  moment  ago, 
'  Has  the  teacher  a  pillow  ? ' 

"  On  finding  me  destitute,  I  was  presented  with  a  nice 
bamboo  (six  or  seven  inches  in  diameter),  which,  but  for 
the  quality  of  hardness,  would  answer  as  good  a  purpose 
as  I  could  desire.  Still  I  hope  to  enjoy  a  comfortable 
night's  rest." 

The  night,  however,  was  not  to  pass  without 
interruption.  At  midnight  the  chief  and  a 
number  of  villagers  came  over  to  the  place 
where  they  were  sleeping,  and  woke  them  up, 
desiring  to  be  told  more  about  God  and  heaven. 
They  preached  to  them  for  two  hours,  and  then 
they  left  the  tired  missionary  for  a  while.  Be- 
fore light,  however,  the  chief  came  back,  and 


THE    CLOUD    BREAKS.  47 

Staid  with  them  till  they  left.  So  much  eager- 
ness was  shown  to  hear  the  gospel,  that  Mr. 
Vinton  promised  to  send  a  young  man  to  be- 
come their  teacher.  They,  on  their  part,  agreed 
to  build  a  chapel,  and  take  all  the  care  possible 
of  the  teacher  who  should  be  sent. 

Urged  by  the  chief,  Mr.  Vinton  consented  to 
visit  some  of  the  neighboring  villages.  At  the 
very  next  village,  the  head-man  and  all  the 
principal  men  said,  "This  is  the  long-lost  law  of 
our  God.  This  is  the  true  religion.  We  will 
embrace  it ;  and,  if  the  teacher  is  willing,  we 
will  be  baptized  on  the  spot."  Three  powerful 
chiefs  in  the  same  region  promised  to  build, 
each  of  them,  a  chapel,  and  support  a  teacher 
if  Mr.  Vinton  would  send  one. 

Wherever  he  went,  crowds  followed,  eager  to 
hear  the  truth  ;  and  hundreds  were  converted. 
Mr.  Vinton  says,  — 

"  We  have  been  brought  in  safety  to  this  village.  We 
had  a  most  fatiguing  time,  sometimes  for  hours  being 
obliged  to  drag  ourselves  up  the  steep  ascent  by  laying 
hold  of  the  bamboos  which  grew  beside  our  path.  We 
were  much  exhausted  on  our  arrival;  but  the  villagers 
came  together  at  once,  and  after  listening  to  us  for  a 
few  hours  they  said,  '  We  will  believe  in  Jesus,  and  em- 
brace him  as  our  Saviour.'     They  then  entered  into  the 


48  THE   VINTONS   AND    THE    KARENS. 

most  minute  inquiries  to  learn  how  they,  as  the  disciples 
of  Christ,  should  conduct  themselves.  These  inquiries 
continued  until  a  late  hour.  They  desired  particularly 
to  know  how  they  should  spend  the  Lord's  Day,  and  how 
they  should  pray. 

"When  the  old  men  returned  to  the  village,  the  young 
men  remained  to  sleep  with  us  in  the  zayat.  I  could  not 
sleep.  My  thoughts  of  God  and  heaven  were  too  sweet 
to  admit  of  interruption.  The  zayat  had  no  roof;  so  I 
lay  and  gazed  upon  the  stars,  and  thought  of  the  won- 
derful majesty  of  God,  and  the  more  wonderful  grace 
which  could  stoop  to  save  rebellious  man.  The  more  I 
mused  upon  it,  the  more  was  I  lost  in  contemplation  of 
the  amazing  theme.  I  could  only  repeat,  '  God  so  loved 
the  world ; '  but  why,  and  how  much,  I  could  not  tell.  A 
little  before  light  these  sweet  thoughts  were  interrupted. 
The  Karens  had  awakened  from  their  slumber;  and  each 
began  saying  to  his  companion,  'Pray  to  God;'  when 
the  other  would  respond  '  Pray ; '  and  then  was  heard,  in 
every  part  of  the  zayat,  the  voice  of  prayer  from  those 
who  were  making  their  first  petitions  to  the  living  God." 

But  it  is  time  to  speak  of  the  effect  of  Mr. 
Vinton's  stay  at  the  prophet's  village,  and  of 
this  evangelistic  work  in  the  vicinity.  It  was 
soon  seen  that  the  prophet's  influence  was 
being  sensibly  weakened.  When  Mr.  Vinton 
was  on  his  return,  he  appointed  a  meeting  at 
the  foot  of  the  mountain,  within  sight  of  the 
prophet's  village.     Hither  came  great  numbers, 


BAMBOO. 


49 


BAMBOO. 


THE    PROPHET    FOILED.  51 

many  of  whom  were  the  converts  of  the  night 
preaching  of  that  "one  day  longer"  to  which 
the  assistants  consented.  They  had  remained 
faithful ;  and  their  resolutions  to  serve  God  had 
gained  strength,  although  they  were  bitterly  op- 
posed by  the  prophet  and  his  adherents.  The 
day  was  spent  in  the  most  interesting  religious 
services,  Ko-chet-thaing  being  one  of  the 
preachers. 

At  the  close  of  the  day  the  chief  said,  **  Well, 
the  prophet  has  proved  himself  a  false  prophet 
for  once ;  for  this  mornins:  he  told  us  that  last 
night  his  Kala  [spirit]  had  gone  and  visited  the 
white  teacher,  and  that  he  [the  teacher]  had 
gone  to  Maulmain." 

Said  Mr.  Vinton,  "As  to  his  spirit  visiting 
me,  I  know  nothing  about  it.  As  to  my  going 
to  Maulmain,  you  can  judge  as  well  as  I."  At 
this  instant  one  of  the  prophet's  principal  ad- 
herents came  up,  when  the  chief  attacked  him, 
to  know  what  he  thought  of  such  a  leader  as 
the  prophet. 

"If,"  said  the  chief,  "he  did  not  know,  why 
did  he  say  such  a  thing }  If  he  did  know,  why 
did  he  lie  so.-*"  The  poor  man  had  not  one 
word  to  offer  in  vindication  of  the  prophet, 
and  the  effect  upon  the  by-standers  was  great. 


52  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

Mr.  Vinton's  journal  continues:  — 

"  On  reaching  the  boat,  I  found  a  noted  chief  from 
Siam  awaiting  me.  There  was  more  of  princely  dignity 
and  style  about  his  person  and  attendants  than  I  ever 
saw  before  in  a  Karen ;  but  he  listened  with  great  in- 
terest to  the  story  of  the  cross  ;  and  when  I  ceased 
speaking  said,  '  I  have  never  heard  any  thing  about  this 
religion  before.  Now,  will  you  not  eome  to  my  country, 
and  spend  a  long  time,  and  teach  me  and  the  thousands 
of  my  people,  so  that  we  may  be  saved  ? ' 

"  I  answered  with  a  full  heart,  '  Yes  !  if  my  life  is 
spared,  I  will  come.'  I  promised  to  send  them  a  native 
teacher;  and  the  chief,  on  his  part,  promised  to  sup- 
port him." 

From  this  interesting  interview,  Mr.  Vinton 
left  the  prophet's  village,  and  went  to  the  cen- 
tral village  of  the  territory,  occupied  by  the 
celebrated  Lakee,  one  of  the  most  powerful 
chiefs  among  the  Karens,  and  a  most  interest- 
ing character. 

Mr.  Vinton  says  of  him, — 

"  He  is  the  leading  character  among  the  Karens,  and 
the  only  one  who  is  much  respected  by  the  Burmans. 
His  influence  is  daily  extending,  and  he  bids  fair  to  be 
a  kind  of  prince  among  them. 

"  He  is  a  man  of  more  mind  than  any  Karen  I  have 
yet  seen ;  boasts  no  royal  ancestry,  but  has  risen  to  his 
present  eminence  upon   his   own   merits.     The    Karens 


LA    KEE.  53 

from  all  parts  of  Burmah  are  flocking  into  this  region  to 
put  themselves  under  his  jurisdiction ;  so  that  this  may 
yet  be  the  very  heart  of  the  Karen  world,  and  Lakee 
become  a  king. 

"When  I  inquired  of  him  what  he  thought  of  the 
Christian  religion,  he  answered,  '  Your  account  of  it  is 
very  good;  but  I  have  never  seen  any  of  the  foreign 
teachers  before,  and  do  not,  therefore,  know  what  credit 
to  give  your  statements.  The  prophet  and  other  teachers 
have  their  pretended  revelations  from  God ;  but  we  have 
to  take  their  word  for  it,  for  no  one  can  read  or  under- 
stand the  revelation  but  themselves.' 

"  I  then  proposed  to  send  him  a  man  who  should  teach 
his  people  to  read  the  word  of  God  for  themselves. 
'  Yes,  yes  !'  said  he,  interrupting  me.  '  That  is  it !  Now 
the  teacher's  words  hit  my  heart.  Just  send  me  a  man 
that  shall  teach  the  people  to  read ;  and,  if  what  you  say 
about  the  law  of  God  is  true,  we  will  embrace  this  re- 
ligion at  once,  and  all  be  baptized  together.' 

"Had  this  expedition  accomplished  nothing  but  the 
arrangement  for  placing  these  native  assistants,  I  should 
feel  that  our  labor  had  not  been  in  vain  in  the  Lord  ;  but 
hundreds  have  for  the  first  time  listened  to  the  preaching 
of  the  gospel,  and  the  seed  has  been  sown,  which,  with 
God's  blessing,  will  produce  an  abundant  harvest." 


54  THE    YINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 


CHAPTER   V. 

"  Not  many  lives,  but  only  one,  have  we; 

One,  only  one : 
How  sacred  should  that  one  life  ever  be, 

That  narrow  span ! 
Day  after  day  filled  up  with  blessed  toil, 
Hour  after  hour  still  bringing  in  new  spoil." 

We  have  given,  already,  enough  to  indicate 
the  untiring  devotion  and  the  marvellous  skill, 
which  characterized  Mr.  Vinton's  labors  among 
the  Karens. 

His  labors,  however,  were  not  confined  to 
this  people.  He  studied  the  Burmese  language, 
so  that  he  might  be  able  to  preach  to  the  Bur- 
mans  when  opportunity  offered.  When  con- 
fined to  the  city  during  the  rains,  when  travel- 
ling is  impossible,  we  find  him  laboring  among 
the  English  soldiers  in  garrison,  preaching  and 
distributing  tracts  among  the  Burmese,  and 
pushing  on  the  Karen  translation  of  the  New 
Testament,  or  writing  his  Commentary. 

Mrs.  Vinton  speaks,  in  a  letter  home,  of  his 
having  distributed  over  eight  thousand  tracts 


PAGODA    AT    MAULMAIN. 


55 


PAGODA  AT  MAULMAIN. 


LABORS  FOR  THE  ENGLISH.        5/ 

in  six  weeks  ;  and  his  faithful  labors  among  the 
troops  resulted  in  many  conversions,  not  only 
among  the  common  soldiery,  but  among  their 
officers  as  well. 

His  deep  piety,  and  absolute  devotion  to  the 
work  of  saving  souls  of  whatever  nationality, 
won  for  him  during  his  life  the  respect  and  ad- 
miration of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact ; 
even  of  men  who  honored  the  man  and  mission- 
ary, though  they  hated  his  religion.  Many 
such  contributed  material  aid,  and  afforded  him 
assistance  by  kindly  acts  which  could  not  be 
purchased  with  gold. 

One,  a  professed  atheist,  was  a  ship-owner. 
He  often  said  to  him,  ''Mr.  Vinton,  I  don't 
believe  as  you  do,  and  it  is  no  use  for  you  to 
try  and  make  a  Christian  of  me ;  but  remember, 
you  and  your  family  are  welcome  to  a  free  pas- 
sage on  any  of  my  ships  at  any  time,  and  to 
any  port ;  and  my  house,  either  in  Rangoon,  or 
Maulmain,  or  Amherst,  is  always  open  to  you." 

These  were  no  empty  professions.  On  sev- 
eral occasions  it  was  necessary  for  both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Vinton  to  avail  themselves  of  his  generos- 
ity ;  and  they  found  that  his  captains  had  re- 
ceived orders  to  show  them  every  courtesy,  and 
to  place  the  best  of  every  thing  on  board  at 
their  disposal. 


58  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

Mr.  Vinton's  genial,  sunny  disposition  en- 
deared him  alike  to  the  ignorant,  simple-minded 
Karens,  and  to  the  cultivated  and  sometimes 
fastidious  English  officers,  who  had  it  in  their 
power  to  aid  him  so  greatly  in  his  work. 

Credit  has  never  been  sufficiently  given  here, 
in  America,  to  the  assistance  which  English 
residents  have  furnished  to  our  missions  and 
missionaries.  Much  of  our  success,  particularly 
in  Burmah,  has  been  due  to  the  moral  as  well 
as  pecuniary  support  extended  to  the  mission- 
aries by  English  civil  and  military  officers. 

Even  the  English  government  offers  to  any 
mission  school  what  is  called  a  **  grant-in-aid." 
This  is  a  sum  of  money  equal  to  the  amount 
expended  by  the  school  itself  for  educational 
purposes.  The  sums  thus  paid  vary  from  two 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars  to  fifteen  hundred  dol- 
lars in  different  schools.  No  restrictions  are 
placed  upon  the  schools  receiving  such  aid, 
save  that  they  shall  be  open  to  the  government 
director  of  education  for  inspection. 

Mr.  P.  Hordern,  who  has  been  for  the  past 
ten  years  government  director  in  Burmah,  is  an 
enthusiastic  admirer  of  the  American  school- 
system,  and  has  given  great  encouragement  to 
educational  work  in  all  our  stations. 


KINDNESS   OF   ENGLISH    RESIDENTS.  59 

Thousands  of  dollars  are  also  given  by  pri- 
vate individuals.  These  donations  are  sent  to 
the  missionary  in  the  most  quiet,  unostentatious 
manner,  generally  with  a  request  that  the  name 
of  the  donor  may  not  be  mentioned.  Grants  of 
land  for  building  purposes,  exemption  from  tax- 
ation, free  medical  attendance,  and  even  a  mili- 
tary or  police  guard  in  passing  through  danger- 
ous parts  of  the  country  —  these,  and  a  hundred 
other  kindly  acts  which  an  English  officer  has 
it  in  his  power  to  perform,  make  his  friendship 
a  desirable  thing,  however  much  some  may  af- 
fect to  despise  it.  . 

No  one  ever  had  more  opportunity  of  testing 
this  than  Mr.  Vinton  ;  though  Dr.  Kincaid,  Mrs. 
Ingalls,  Dr.  Binney,  Dr.  Mason,  and  others  have 
cheerfully  borne  testimony  to  the  large-hearted 
liberality,  the  hearty  co-operation,  the  tender 
sympathy,  and  the  unexpected  help  in  time  of 
sickness  or  trial,  which  many  of  the  English 
government  officers  have  given. 

We  have  referred  to  the  material  aid  given. 
We  may  not  omit  speaking  of  the  earnest  Chris- 
tian life  of  many  of  these  officers.  Havelock 
was  not  a  phenomenal  character.  Hundreds  of 
English  officers  in  India  have  been  equally  de- 
voted and  faithful.     They  are  found  to-day  in 


60  THE   VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

every  station,  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest. 
When  in  1853  Lord  Dalhousie,  the  governor- 
general,  came  to  Rangoon,  he  was  quite  ill,  yet 
he  said  to  one  of  his  suite,  **  If  I  am  able  to  see 
any  one,  it  must  be  the  American  missiona- 
ries." They  were  accordingly  sent  for,  to  have 
a  personal  interview  with  him.  He  made  many 
inquiries  about  the  mission,  and  expressed  a 
deep  interest  in  the  work  among  the  Karens. 
When  Mr.  Vinton  and  Dr.  Kincaid  thanked  him 
for  the  kindness  which  had  been  shown  them  by 
his  subordinate  officers,  he  said  quietly,  "  I  am 
glad  if  they  have  done  their  dutyT 

Let  any  one  read  that  exquisite  work, 
**  Twelve  Years  of  a  Soldier's  Life  in  India,'* 
the  record  of  one  of  the  most  daring  soldiers 
that  ever  was  known  in  that  land  of  daring 
men ;  the  man  who,  with  seventy-five  native 
troopers,  took  the  princes  of  Delhi  from  the 
midst  of  an  armed  mob  of  thousands  of  natives. 

Yet  this  man  was  one  of  the  most  humble 
Christians  in  the  army. 

The  39th  Regiment  was  known  familiarly  as 
"  God  Almighty's  Own,"  from  the  large  number 
of  pious  men  in  it. 

The  roll  of  Christian  officers  includes  some  of 
the  most  distinguished  names  in  the  history 
of  the  English  dominion  in  India. 


CHRISTIAN    HEROES.  6l 

Sir  Henry  Lawrence ;  Sir  Henry  Havelock ; 
Sir  Herbert  Edwards,  famous  jn  the  Punjaub; 
Gen.  John  Nicholson  ;  Gen.  Neill,  bravest  of  the 
brave  ;  Hodson,  the  captor  of  the  Delhi  princes  ; 
D'Arcy  Todd,  killed  at  the  head  of  his  men  at 
Ferozeshahar,  and  whose  last  entry  in  his  jour- 
nal was  that  he  only  wished  to  live  that  the 
love  of  Christ  might  prepare  him  to  leave  this 
world;  Arthur  Conolly,  lovely  and  beloved, 
who  fell  a  martyr  at  Bokhara ;  Gen.  James  Bell, 
whose  tender  offices  of  kindness  have  so  often 
comforted  the  hearts  of  our  missionaries  in 
Burmah  ;  Gen.  Sir  David  Russell,  who  last  year 
gave  sixteen  thousand  rupees  to  the  Rangoon 
mission,  —  these  are  a  few  only  of  the  many 
names  of  the  Lord's  dear  children  who  have  in 
former  years  been  the  most  faithful  supporters 
of  missions  in  India. 

Their  places  are  vacant  now.  Many  hearts 
in  India  have  been  saddened  as  death  has  called 
them,  or  as  the  burden  of  years  of  arduous  ser- 
vice has  sent  them  home  to  England  ;  but  in 
their  stead  others  are  arising ;  and  some  of  the 
brightest  spots  in  a  missionary's  life  are  illu- 
mined by  the  light  of  that  Christian  love  which 
has  been  shown  by  these  devoted  servants  of 
God. 


62  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

We  have  spoken  of  Mr.  Vinton's  sunny  dis- 
position. It  was  a  family  trait ;  and  Mrs.  Vin- 
ton, herself  naturally  inclined  to  despondency, 
was  accustomed  to  say,  "  A  Vmton  never  can 
see  trouble  ahead."  She  would  sometimes  illus- 
trate this  persistent  determination  to  look  on 
the  bright  side,  by  describing  a  scene,  which, 
no  doubt,  had  more  than  once  occurred. 

"Mr.  Vinton  and  Miranda,  his  sister,  would  plan  an 
expedition  on  horseback.  I  would  say, '  Why,  it  is  no  use 
sending  for  the  ponies  :  it  is  just  going  to  rain.' 

" '  Oh,  no  ! '  Miranda  would  say :  '  look  at  that  blue  sky,' 
pointing  to  a  little  break  in  the  clouds,  away  in  precisely 
the  opposite  direction  from  that  from  which  the  storm 
was  approaching.  I  would  lead  her  around  to  the  other 
side  of  the  house,  and  show  her  the  heavy  black  clouds 
coming  up  from  the  south-west,  boding  a  perfect  down- 
fall. '  Yes,  yes  ! '  she  would  say :  '  that  looks  like  rain  by 
r.nd  by,  but  there  is  time  enough  for  us  to  get  our  ride 
before  the  storm.  Besides,  it  may  all  blow  over.  What 
do  you  think,  brother?'  —  'Oh,  yes!  we'll  go,  by  all 
means.  It  doesn't  look  near  so  black  as  it  did.  Put  on 
yoi-.r  habit,  and  we'll  be  off  and  home  again  before  it 
rains.'  Before  the  riding-habit  could  be  dojined,  the 
wind  would  be  blowing  a  hurricane,  and  the  rain  coming 
down  in  torrents;  but  those  two  would  appear  as  uncon- 
cerned as  if  it  were  all  a  part  of  their  plan.  If  I  said, 
•  You  see  I  was  right  about  the  rain,'  Mr.  Vinton  would 
answer,  '  Yes,  my  dear,  you  are  always  right ;  but  wait 


RAINY   DAYS.  63 

a  moment.  This  storm  will  be  over  soon,  and  then  our 
ride  will  be  all  the  more  pleasant  for  the  rain.'  Yet  I 
could  see  that  it  had  set  in  for  a  heavy  pour  which  would 
last  all  night.  The  only  satisfaction  I  ever  received  was, 
'Well,  Miranda,  it  will  be  all  the  brighter  to-morrow,  and 
we  will  take  a  longer  ride  then.'  " 

This  scene  may  seem,  to  those  who  did  not 
know  Mr.  Vinton,  somewhat  exaggerated  ;  but 
it  is  not  overdrawn  in  the  slightest.  Indeed,  it 
might  almost  be  a  parable  of  the  man's  life. 
The  "  rainy  days "  which  came  into  his  life 
have  only  made  the  morrow  of  eternity  the 
brighter. 

Mrs.  Vinton  found  this  hopefulness  and  buoy- 
ancy of  disposition  in  her  husband  a  great 
source  of  strength  in  her  many  hours  of  de- 
spondency and  discouragement.  Many  times 
did  she  go  to  her  husband's  study  utterly  dis- 
pirited, seeing  nothing  but  difficulty  and  possi- 
ble failure  in  the  future  ;  but  in  the  sunshine  of 
his  happy  spirit  all  the  clouds  were  driven  away, 
and  she  went  back  to  her  work  feeling  that 
after  all,  there  was  something  yet  worth  living 
for. 

Sometimes,  when  worn  out  with  her  unceas- 
ing .labors,  and  suffering  from  the  depressing 
effects  of  the  climate,  she  would  imagine  that 


64  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

that  curse  of  India,  disease  of  the  liver,  had 
made  her  its  victim ;  and  after  putting  the 
clothing  of  the  household  in  order,  and  gener- 
ally settling  affairs,  she  would  go  to  her  husband 
to  ''talk  it  over"  with  him,  and  arrange  for  the 
future  in  the  event  of  her  death.  He,  however, 
would  laughingly  say,  **  My  dear,  it  is  not  your 
liver  that  is  affected  :  it  is  your  brain.  Depend 
upon  it,  the  trouble  is  there." 

This  may  sound  heartless  ;  but  no  one  who 
knew  the  great  tenderness  of  his  heart  could 
for  one  moment  believe  him  capable  of  want 
of  sympathy.  Mrs.  Vinton  has  said  that  it  was 
the  truest  kindness  to  turn  her  thoughts  away 
from  her  own  feelings ;  and  she  would  come  out 
of  his  study  laughing,  and  saying,  *'  Well,  it  is 
scarcely  worth  while  to  arrange  for  my  funeral 
just  yet." 

When  she  would  go  to  him  in  tears  over  some 
act  of  unkindness  or  ingratitude,  his  only  reply 
was,  '*  Be  above  it,  my  dear ;  be  above  it !  If 
you  take  any  notice  of  it  whatever,  you  only 
lower  yourself  to  a  level  with  those  who  have 
injured  you.     Be  above  it !  " 

Thus,  amid  encouragement  and  discourage- 
ment, his  sunny  cheerfulness  and  faith  in  God 
supported    him    amid    labors    and    trials    which 


KAREN    MISSION   COMPOUND   AT   MAULMAIN.     65 


"SISTER    MIRANDA."  6/ 

would  have  broken  down  a  less  buoyant  consti- 
tution. He  obeyed  literally  the  injunction, 
"  Rejoice  in  the  Lord  alway,  and  again  I  say, 
Rejoice." 

During  the  period  between  1834  and  1848, 
Mr.  Vinton's  labors  were  confined  to  the  Maul- 
main  district,  with  the  exception  of  occasional 
journeys  into  Rangoon  and  Tavoy. 

It  is  beyond  the  scope  of  these  personal 
memoirs  to  give  a  detail  of  these  labors.  The 
results  may  be  found  briefly  summed  up  in  the 
records  of  the  mission,  and  in  the  statistics  of 
the  Maulmain  Karen  mission  for  1847. 

In  September,  1841,  the  sister  Miranda,  al- 
ready alluded  to,  joined  her  brother  on  the  mis- 
sion field.  She  was  then  only  twenty-two  years 
of  age.  For  seven  years  she  had  hoped  and 
prayed  that  God  would  send  her  to  Burmah  ; 
and  it  was  "the  happiest  day  of  her  life"  when 
she  found  herself  by  her  brother's  side  in  Maul- 
main. She  at  once  engaged  in  the  work  of 
teaching,  for  which  she  showed  marked  talent. 

She  acquired  the  language  from  constant 
communion  with  the  natives,  and  continued  to 
use  it  throughout  her  life  with  marked  fluency 
and  correctness  of  idiom.  The  exceeding  sweet- 
ness  of   her   disposition   endeared    her   to   all. 


68  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

Indeed,  she  was  one  of  the  few  in  this  world 
who  are  so  blessed  as  to  avoid  all  carping  criti- 
cism, and  to  escape  the  sting  of  venomous 
tongues. 

To  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vinton,  her  presence, 
as  well  as  the  assistance  she  rendered,  was  an 
unspeakable  comfort  and  joy.  During  the  next 
twelve  years  of  varied  experience,  of  patient 
seed-sowing  and  triumphant  harvesting,  "  Sister 
Miranda,"  as  the  whole  mission  called  her,  was 
the  light  and  joy  of  the  house,  a  constant  bene- 
diction from  on  high. 

Of  her  life  and  labors  we  will  let  those  speak 
who  knew  her  well,  and  loved  her  dearly.  Mrs. 
Dr.  Binney  and  Mrs.  Dr.  Stevens  have  kindly 
furnished  reminiscences  which  will  be  found  at 
the  close  of  this  volume. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vinton  three  children  had 
been  born, — Justus  Brainerd  in  April,  1840; 
Calistain  September,  1841 ;  and  Harvey  Howard 
in  1846.  In  1847  Mrs.  Vinton's  health  failed 
completely,  and  it  was  thought  best  for  her  to 
return  to  America.  The  necessity  of  rest  for 
Mr.  Vinton  was  also  apparent ;  and,  besides,  it 
was  deemed  advisable  to  have  him  return  in 
order  to  try  to  awaken  anew  the  missionary 
spirit  and  consecration  of  our  churches. 


RETURN   TO   AMERICA.  69 

They  set  sail  in  "The  Ocean  Queen,"  from 
Maulmain  for  the  Cape,  in  the  latter  part  of 
1847.  The  voyage  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
was  perilous ;  and  in  Table  Bay  the  ship  was 
saved  from  going  ashore  on  Robin  Island  only 
when  every  cable  had  parted  save  one. 

At  Cape  Town  the  Vintons  remained  for 
several  months,  waiting  for  a  vessel  in  which 
they  could  obtain  passage  to  America.  Here 
Harvey,  the  youngest  child,  sickened  and  died ; 
and  the  afflicted  parents  made  his  grave  in  that 
strange  land. 

They  obtained  passage  finally  in  the  ship 
**  William  Shaler,"  and  landed  in  Boston  early 
in  1848,  after  fourteen  years'  absence  from 
home. 


JO  THE   VINTONS   AND    THE    KARENS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

"  Such  let  my  life  be  here, 
Not  marked  by  noise,  but  by  success  alone; 
Not  known  by  bustle,  but  by  useful  deeds ; 
Quiet  and  gentle,  clear  and  fair  as  light, 
Yet  full  of  its  all-penetrating  power, 
Its  silent  but  resistless  influence ; 
Making  no  needless  sound,  yet  ever  working, 
Hour  after  hour,  upon  a  needy  world  I " 

The  missionary  spirit  of  the  American  Bap- 
tist churches  in  1848  was  at  a  low  ebb.  The 
first  enthusiasm  of  the  mission  effort  had 
passed  away.  Dr.  Judson's  return  in  1844  had 
revived  old  memories,  and  to  some  extent  in- 
creased the  contributions ;  yet  in  1846  the 
income  of  the  Missionary  Union  was  so  small, 
that  the  Board  were  forced  to  debate  as  to  which 
of  their  missions  they  would  relinquish.  The 
society  was  forty  thousand  dollars  in  debt,  and 
the  deficit  was  increasing  yearly. 

It  was  necessary,  therefore,  that  Mr.  Vinton 
should  spend  most  of  his  time  in  visiting  the 
churches,  and  striving  to  persuade  their  mem- 


VISITING    AMERICAN    CHURCHES.  /I 

bers  to  do  from  enthusiasm  what  they  should 
have  done  from  motives  of  duty. 

He  was  accompanied  in  these  journeys  by 
two  young  Karens,  Myah  A  and  Kone  Lowk, 
whom  he  had  brought  with  him  to  this  country 
to  assist  him  in  translating  the  Bible  into 
Karen. 

Mr.  Vinton's  own  enthusiasm  was  contaofious. 
His  fine  presence,  remarkable  ability  as  a  public 
speaker,  and  his  sweet  singing,  all  contributed 
to  deepen  the  impression  which  his  earnest 
words  had  produced.  His  singing  of  "  Rock 
of  Ages"  both  in  Karen  and  in  English,  and 
"The  Missionary's  Call,"  which  latter  we  print, 
will  never  be  forgotten  by  those  who  heard  it. 
The  result  of  his  labors  was  soon  seen  in  the 
re-awakening  of  a  mission  spirit  in  the  churches, 
and  in  the  designation  of  new  missionaries  to 
the  Asiatic  missions. 

Meanwhile  Mrs.  Vinton,  who  was  still  very 
ill  when  she  arrived  in  the  country,  was  endeav- 
oring to  rest  in  her  own  peculiar  way.  Though 
for  most  of  the  time  an  invalid,  yet  by  holding 
receptions  in  her  sick-room,  or  by  taking  ad- 
vantage of  her  well  days  for  holding  "  mothers' 
meetings  "  or  *'  conversation  gatherings,"  she 
managed  to  do  a  wonderful  work,  the  results  of 


72 


THE   VINTONS   AND    THE    KARENS. 


CHANT. 


"^- 


-15'- 


* 


» 


-&- 


1.  My  soul  is  not  at  rest.    There 

comes  a  strange  and  secret 
whisper  to  my     .... 

2.  Why  live  I  here  ?     The  vows 

of  God  are 


And  I  will 

Henceforth,  then,  it  matters 
not  if  storm  or  sunshine  be 


my 


And  when  I  come  to  stretch 
me  for  the 

And  if  one  for  whom   Satan 
hath  struggled  as  he  hath  for 


spirit, 


earthly  lot, 
last,     .     . 


like  a  dream  of    .     .     . 

and  I  may  not  slop  to 
play  with  shadows,  or 
pluck  earthly  .... 
I  may  no  longer  doubt  to 
give  up  friends  and  idol 


bitter  or  sweet  my     .     , 

in  unattended  agony,be- 
neath  the  cocoa's     .     . 

should    ever    reach    that 
blessed 


:=]: 


-^- 


-f2- 


that  tells  me  I  am  on  en-    chant 
till  my  work  have  done, 

and rendered 

and  evei-v  tie  that  binds 

my  heart  to     ...     .      thee,     . 

I  only  pray,  "God  make 

me  holy,  and  my   spirit 

nerve  for  the  stern     .     .     hour     . 

it  will   be   sweet   that   I 

toiled  for  other  worlds   than 

Oh,  how  this  heart  will 

glow  with grati     -    tude  and 

VIVACE.    Chorus  for  first  five  verses.   /^ 

-J \ 


~l 

ed     . 

up   ac- 

my     . 

of    . 


ground. 

count. 

country! 

strife!" 

this. 

love! 


THE   FIVE-FRANC    PIECE. 


71 


:tfc 


na-tions,"  Comes    on   the  night-air,  and    a  -  wakes    mine      ear, 


A-A^ 


^^ 


Chorus  for  last  verse. 


f=f=t 


t=:t 


s 


gas  of     e  -  ter-nal  years,My  spirit     never  shall     re  - 

^ J 


pent  That  toil  and  suf-fering    once  were  mine  be  -  low. 


^s^^^^^p 


which  are  constantly  appearing  in  the  after- 
history  of  the  mission. 

It  was  while  she  was  thus  *'  resting  "  at  the 
home  of  Deacon  Granger  at  Suffield,  Conn., 
that  the  little  five-franc  piece,  which  grew  to  be 
a  chapel,  began  its  labor  of  love. 

There  was  living  at  Suffield  a  lady  by  the 
name  of  Mary  Ann  Bestor.  She  was  quite  poor. 
A  five-franc  piece  had  been  given  her,  with  which 


74  THE    VINTONS   AND    THE    KARENS. 

to  purchase  a  warm  dress  for  winter  ;  but,  desir- 
ing to  contribute  something  to  the  cause  of  mis- 
sions, she  argued  in  this  way  :  "  This  money  is 
my  own.  If  I  choose  to  go  without  the  dress, 
and  give  the  money  to  the  Lord,  it  is  my  privi- 
lege to  do  so."  Still  she  was  so  fearful  that  it 
would  become  known,  and  she  be  blamed  for 
giving  from  the  depths  of  her  poverty,  that  she 
concealed  the  money  in  the  toe  of  one  of  a 
pair  of  stockings  which  she  had  knit,  and, 
handing  them  to  Myah  A,  who  had  visited 
her,  told  him  to  give  them  to  Mrs.  Vinton, 
and  tell  her  that  the  contents  of  the  toe  were 
for  the  heathen. 

When  Mrs.  Vinton  learned  how  poor  the 
donor  was,  and  that  she  was  depriving  herself 
of  a  warm  dress  thus  to  give,  her  heart  was 
touched,  and  she  said,  "  This  is  holy  money,  and 
must  not  go  into  the  general  fund." 

That  evening,  on  mentioning  it  to  a  friend 
(believed  to  have  been  Deacon  Roberts  of 
Hartford),  he  said,  "  It  is  cold  weather  :  Frankie 
should  have  a  wrapper;"  and  he  handed  her  a 
ten-dollar  bill,  which  she  wrapped  around  the 
five-franc  piece  **  to  keep  him  warm."  The 
next  day  another  ten-dollar  bill  was  given  by 
Deacon  Day  of  Hartford,  *'  to  buy  Frankie  an 


FRANKIE.  75 

overcoat,  as  the  weather  had  grown  colder." 
Mrs.  Henry  P.  Kent  of  Suffield,  hearing  of  the 
circumstance,  said,  *'  These  are  stinging  nights 
to  sleep  alone :  Frankie  must  have  a  bedfel- 
low ; "  and  a  five-dollar  gold  piece  was  laid  by 
his  side.^ 

Mrs.  Vinton  then  said,  "  If  Frankie  had  a 
few  more  wrappers,  I  would  send  him  to  Bos- 
ton to  buy  some  Bibles  for  our  Karens."  So 
she  wrote  out  "  Frankie's  "  history,  and  sent  it 
to  Dr.  Ives,  saying,  "  Are  there  not  some  of 
your  members  who  will  clothe  Frankie  suitably 
for  a  journey  to  the  city  ?  He  has  a  good  coat 
and  overcoat,  but  he  sadly  wants  other  articles 
of  clothing." 

Dr.  Ives  keenly  appreciated  the  wit  of  the 
letter,  and  as  keenly  sympathized  with  the  mis- 
sionary spirit  that  lay  beneath  the  wit.  So  he 
read  the  letter  from  the  pulpit  at  a  Sunday- 
morning  service.  Thirty  dollars  was  at  once 
subscribed  to  "  purchase  Frankie  suitable 
clothes."  The  amount,  in  bank-bills,  was 
handed  to  Mrs.  Vinton  ;  and  she  sent  off 
*'  Frankie  "  to  Boston,  at  the  same  time  writ- 
ing his  history  to  the  publisher  from  whom  the 
Bibles  were  bought. 

*  We  are  glad  to  say  that  the  "  warm  dress  "  for  Miss  Bestor 
was  also  forthcoming. 


76  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

He  returned  "  Frankie  "  to  Mrs.  Vinton,  and 
with  him  so  many  of  his  wrappers  and  coats, 
&c.,  that  she  said,  *'  I  will  send  him  to  Phila- 
delphia, to  Dr.  Jayne,  to  buy  a  box  of  medi- 
cines for  our  Karens."  The  medicines  were 
purchased,  and  yet  '*  Frankie  "  was  still  sent 
back  to  Mrs.  Vinton,  with  a  facetious  message 
from  Dr.  Jayne. 

Mrs.  Vinton  said,  "  Now  I'll  take  him  to 
Mrs.  Thompson,  and  let  him  buy  some  eye- 
water ior  our  poor  Karens,  who  suffer  so  much 
from  the  glare  of  the  sun."  But  Mrs.  Thomp- 
son said,  "  I  have  been  expecting  you,  and  the 
box  is  already  packed  and  waiting  for  you  ;  but, 
bless  you  !  I  don't  want  any  of  Frankie's  wraps. 
It  is  too  cold  weather  to  strip  a  little  fellow  like 
that." 

Mrs.  Vinton  then  said,  **  This  money  always 
comes  back  to  me.  It  is  evident  that  I  have 
not  yet  found  its  true  mission  ;  but  it  shall  yet 
do  a  good  work  for  Burmah." 

Just  at  this  time  Mr.  Vinton  returned  from  a 
tour  among  the  churches,  and  she  told  him 
"  Frankie's  "  story.  He  said,  after  hearing  it, 
'•  I  too  have  had  a  donation  which  has  touched 
my  heart.  At  Norwich,  a  Mrs.  Chapell  came 
to  me,  and  tearfully  said,  handing  me  a  little 


FRANK  S    CHAPEL.  JJ 

roll  of  money,  *  This  belonged  to  my  poor  boy. 
I  cannot  put  it  into  the  general  fund  ;  but  will 
you,  Mr.  Vinton,  take  it,  and  apply  it  to  some 
special  purpose  .-*  *  " 

Mrs.  Vinton  at  once  said,  *'  That,  too,  is  holy 
money.  It  will  do  to  go  with  my  Frankie  ;  " 
and,  struck  with  the  coincidence  of  the  names 
and  of  the  thought  which  had  been  for  years  in 
her  mind,  she  exclaimed,  — 

"  This  money  shall  build  a  house  for  the 
Lord  in  Burmah,  and  it  shall  be  called  Frank's 
Chap  el y 

The  story  with  its  singular  incidents  was 
repeated  by  one  and  another  ;  and  Mrs.  Vinton's 
purpose  was  freely  spoken  of,  though,  we  be- 
lieve never  put  into  print. 

Money  soon  began  to  flow  in  from  many 
sources,  designated  for  "  Frank's  Chapel." 
After  a  few  months  Mrs.  Vinton  visited  Phila- 
delphia. Here  some  friends  said,  **  We  often 
visit  Burmah  in  imagination ;  and  when  we 
reach  there  we  are  tired  enough  to  sit  down. 
May  we  not  rejit  pews  in  Frank's  Chapel }  " 

"  Certainly,"  was  the  reply.  So  a  plan  of  a 
church  was  drawn,  and  as  fast  as  sittings  were 
taken,  the  names  of  the  pew^holders  were  writ- 
ten upon  it. 


78  THE   VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

Ministers  who  contributed  had  their  names 
written  on  the  platform.  The  enthusiasm  be- 
came general  in  Philadelphia  churches ;  and 
soon  nearly  all  the  seats  were  taken,  and  a  con- 
venient communion-service  was  presented. 

From  Philadelphia  Mrs.  Vinton  went  to  Cin- 
cinnati, O.  The  people  there  said  to  her,  "  Why ! 
you  have  rented  all  your  pews,  and  we  Western 
people  are  crowded  out."  So  they  drew  a 
larger  plan,  and  transferred  the  Eastern  names 
to  it,  and  began  renting  pews  themselves. 

All  through  the  West  this  same  enthusiasm 
prevailed. 

In  Cincinnati  the  Odd  Fellows  presented  a 
large  and  beautifully  bound  pulpit  Bible,  with  a 
suitable  inscription. 

A  fine-toned  bell  was  presented  in  one  place, 
pulpit-lamps  in  another,  and  a  communion-table 
in  a  third ;  and  until  her  departure  from  this 
country  Mrs.  Vinton  received  contributions  for 
the  building-fund. 

In  July,  1850,  the  Missionary  Union  sent  out 
one  of  the  largest  companies  of  missionaries 
which  ever  sailed  from  these  shores.  The  com- 
pany comprised  fourteen  missionaries,  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Wade,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Kincaid,  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Ward  (of  Assam),  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whiting,  Dr. 


RETURN  VOYAGE  TO  INDIA.         79 

Dawson  (medical  missionary),  Miss  Shaw,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Vinton,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bronson.  They 
embarked  in  "  The  Washington  Allston."  By 
the  time  they  reached  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
Mrs.  Vinton  and  Mrs.  Kincaid  had  become  so  ex- 
hausted by  the  fearful  hardships  of  the  voyage 
in  an  ill-found  ship,  that  they  left  the  ship, 
and  took  passage  (together  with  Dr.  Kincaid)  on 
the  English  ship  *•  Tudor,"  for  Calcutta.  The 
voyage  to  Cape  Town  occupied  eighty-nine  days, 
and  was  a  scene  of  continued  suffering.  From 
Cape  Town  to  Calcutta  the  voyage  on  **The 
Tudor"  occupied  only  sixty-eight  days,  and  was 
an  exceedingly  pleasant  contrast  to  that  which 
preceded  it.  Mr.  Vinton  remained  on  *'The 
Allston "  until  the  voyage  was  completed, 
though  he  suffered  severely  from  sickness,  and 
landed  in  Maulmain  in  an  enfeebled  state,  from 
which  it  was  months  ere  he  recovered.  But  we 
must  not  dwell  upon  these  sad  occurrences. 
There  is  much  that  is  pleasant  which  may  well 
occupy  our  attention. 

No  sooner  had  Mrs.  Vinton  spoken,  in  Maul- 
main, of  her  desire  to  build  "  Frank's  Chapel," 
than  she  found  all  the  friends  of  the  mission 
just  as  ready  to  aid  in  the  work  as  had  been 


So  THE    VINTONS   AND    THE    KARENS. 

the  brethren  in  America.  The  English  friends 
joined  with  the  Karens  in  their  desire  to  con- 
tribute, and  soon  a  goodly  sum  of  money  was 
collected.  Some  of  these  contributions  were 
accompanied  with  facetious  messages,  as  were 
the  American  ones.  An  English  officer  sends 
two  hundred  rupees  with  the  message,  "In 
America  they  gave  money  to  keep  Frankie 
warm:  in  view  of  the  high  state  of  the  ther- 
mometer, I  send  this  to  keep  him  cool."  An- 
other sends  one  hundred  rupees  "for  legs  for 
Frankie  to  stand  on,"  alluding  to  the  custom  of 
building  houses  on  posts  in  Burmah.  One  offi- 
cer alone  (Gen.  Russell)  gave  one  thousand 
rupees. 

Mrs.  Vinton  supposed  herself  on  the  point 
of  realizing  her  wish,  —  which  was  to  build 
the  chapel  at  the  Karen  mission-compound  in 
Maulmain  (which  was  called  "  Newton  "),  — 
when  unexpected  difficulties  occurred.  She  did 
not  know  then  that  these  "difficulties"  were  all 
part  of  God's  plan. 

The  Lord  was  about  to  open  at  last  the  Pegu 
provinces  to  the  gospel  of  Christ ;  and  Ran- 
goon, instead  of  Maulmain,  was  to  become  the 
centre  of  mission  effort  in   Burmah,  and   the 


A    NEW    FIELD,  8 1 

field  where  the  Vintons  were  henceforth  to 
labor,  where  they  were  to  reap  even  more  abun- 
dantly than  they  had  ever  yet  done,  and  where 
they  were  to  die  and  to  be  buried. 


82  THE   VINTONS   AND   THE   KARENS. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

"  Go,  labor  on :  your  hands  are  weak, 

Your  knees  are  faint,  your  soul  cast  down ; 
Yet  falter  not :  the  prize  you  seek 
Is  near,  —  a  kingdom  and  a  crown  I 

"  Men  die  in  darkness  at  your  side. 

Without  a  hope  to  cheer  the  tomb; 
Take  up  the  torch,  and  wave  it  wide, — 

The  torch  that  lights  time's  thickest  gloom." 

Mr.  Vinton  had  made  frequent  journeys  into 
the  Rangoon  district  between  the  years  1836 
and  1847;  and  he  had  baptized  many  who  had 
joyfully  accepted  of  Christ,  even  though  they 
knew  that  stripes,  imprisonments,  and  perhaps 
death,  awaited  them  if  their  idolatrous  rulers 
discovered  that  they  were  "Jesus  Christ's 
men." 

Ko-tha-byu  and  Mr.  Abbott  had  sowed  good 
seed  among  the  Rangoon  Karens  ;  and,  in  spite 
of  opposition,  little  churches  had  sprung  up  in 
many  places. 

Almost  every  year  Mrs.  Vinton  had  pupils  in 


SCHOOLS.  83 

her  school  in  Maulmain,  who  had  con'.e  over 
two  hundred  miles,  threading  the  forests  by- 
night,  not  daring  to  travel  by  day,  for  the  sake 
of  learning  to  read  God's  word  in  their  own 
lano^uas^e.  This  desire  to  read  "  God's  word," 
by  the  way,  was  a  remarkable  characteristic  of 
the  Karens ;  and  it  was  this  which  was  the 
secret  of  those  educational  movements  which 
were  so  misunderstood,  not  to  say  misrepre- 
sented, in  America.  It  took  American  Chris- 
tians thirty  years  to  learn  that  a  Karen  would 
not  take  his  knowledge  of  the  gospel  at  second 
hand,  but  insisted  upon  his  right  to  be  taught 
by  missionary  schools  to  read  in  his  own  tongue 
"the  long-lost  law  of  his  God." 

When  the  pupils  who  came  through  so  many 
dangers  to  obtain  this  coveted  knowledge  re- 
turned to  their  homes  at  the  close  of  the  rainy 
season,  they  carried  with  them,  secreted  in 
their  turbans,  a  copy  of  the  Gospels  or  of  the 
Epistles.  They  knew,  that,  if  found  in  pos- 
session of  the  "white  man's  book,"  a  certain 
and  cruel  death  awaited  them  at  the  hands  of 
their  Burman  oppressors. 

Truly  "they  counted  not  their  lives  dear  unto 
them,"  that  they  might  possess  God's  truth. 

The  unwritten,  and,  alas !  now  never  to   be 


84  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

written,  martyrology  of  those  years  of  woe,  has 
furnished  the  names  of  many  who  were  sent  to 
terrible  death  for  this  cause,  while  others  were 
tortured  to  the  extreme  verge  of  endurance,  yet 
were  faithful  to  their  God.  Yet,  while  these 
dark  scenes  were  occurring  in  the  Karen  jun- 
gles, American  Christians  were  generalizing  in 
annual  meetings  upon  the  exact  status  of  the 
missionary  and  his  wife,  and  gravely  doubting 
whether  he  was  not  assuming  altogether  too 
m uch  7'esponsibility.  ^ 

The  portions  of  Scripture  thus  carried  back 
by  the  pupils  were  secreted  in  the  earth  during 
the  day ;  but  at  night,  while  a  guard  stood 
around  the  house  to  give  warning  of  approach- 
ing danger,  they  were  drawn  from  their  hiding- 
places,  and  read  to  eager  listeners. 

How  sweetly  did  the  message  of  salvation  fall 
upon  the  still  night  air !  and  how  consoling  to 
those  poor  despised  "Karen  dogs,"  —  as  the 
Burmans  were  wont  to  call  them,  —  to  learn  that 
God  had  remembered  the  Karens,  and  sent 
them  back  the  long-lost  law  of  their  God  !    How 

*  I  shall  never  forget  the  thrill  with  which  T  listened  to 
the  recital,  by  an  aged  Christian  of  the  Rangoon  district,  of  the 
terrible  torture  which  he  had  himself  endured,  and  which  he 
had  witnessed,  during  these  dark  years.  —  R.  M.  Luther. 


PRAYING   FOR   WAR.  85 

gladly  did  they  hear  of  a  redemption  purchased 
not  with  silver  and  gold,  but  with  the  precious 
blood  of  Christ !  and  what  wonder  that  these 
same  Rangoon  Karens  went  cheerfully  to  prison, 
to  slavery,  to  torture,  to  death,  even  the  death 
of  the  cross? 

One  day  Mrs.  Vinton,  in  Maulmain,  was 
startled  by  the  inquiry,  "  Mamma,  is  it  wrong  to 
pray  for  war  ?  "  Such  a  question  from  the  peace- 
loving,  submissive  Karens,  was  astounding. 

"  Why  ?  "  was  the  cautious  reply. 

"Because  we  are  tired  of  being  hunted  like 
wild  beasts  ;  of  being  obliged  to  worship  God 
by  night  and  in  the  forest,  not  daring  to  speak 
of  Jesus,  save  in  a  whisper.  O  mamma !  may 
we  not  pray  that  the  English  may  come  and 
take  our  country,  so  that  we  may  worship  God 
in  freedom  and  without  fear  ?  " 

"Yes,  you  may!"  she  answered;  and  from 
that  day  that  one  petition  made  a  part  of  every 
prayer  which  went  up  from  the  hundreds  of  per- 
secuted Christians ;  and  they  looked  for  the 
coming  of  the  English  guns,  and  for  the  protec- 
tion which  the  English  flag  had  ever  brought 
with  it,  as  earnestly  as  they  had  looked  for  the 
coming  of  their  "younger  brother,  the  white 
man." 


86  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

In  1852  the  English  government,  weary  with 
the  repeated  outrages  upon  English  residents 
in  the  Burmese  dominions,  sent  an  armed  vessel 
from  Calcutta  to  Rangoon  to  inquire  into  the 
causes  of  complaint,  and  to  demand  redress 
from  the  Burmese  governor. 

At  that  time  the  annexation  of  the  country 
had  not  been  thought  of  by  the  English  govern- 
ment. They  had  not  come  prepared  for  war : 
all  that  was  demanded  was,  that  an  equivalent 
for  certain  confiscated  property  of  English  resi- 
dents should  be  paid,  and  a  guaranty  given 
that  in  future  the  foreign  residents  should  be 
unmolested,  and  the  provisions  of  the  treaty  of 
1827  should  be  observed. 

Great  was  the  joy  of  the  Karens  when  the 
news  spread  that  the  English  had  come ;  and 
earnest  prayers  were  offered  that  God  would 
blind  the  Burmans  to  their  own  interests,  and 
prevent  them  from  acceding  to  the  very  reason- 
able demands  of  the  English.  What  was  their 
dismay  when  told  that  the  steamer  had  gone 
quietly  out  of  Rangoon  harbor  without  firing  a 
gun,  and  that  they  were  still  left  under  the 
iron  heel  of  their  oppressors  ! 

But  the  little  "  Sesostris  "  came  back  one  day, 
—  Bot  alone,  however.    There  were  "The  Fox," 


A  nation's  deliverance.  Sy 

"The  Duchess  of  Argyle,"  "The  Nemesis" 
(well-named,  this  latter  vessel,  for  she  had  come 
as  the  avenger  of  a  long  list  of  black  crimes 
against  humanity). 

Had  we  stood  on  the  old  pier  at  Rangoon, 
and  seen  two  or  three  poorly-clad  natives,  with 
passive  faces,  gazing  off  into  the  stream,  where 
lay  anchored  a  portion  of  the  "Majesty  of 
England,"  we  would  have  supposed  that  of  all 
Rangoon  they  cared  least  for  the  grave  political 
problems  which  had  been  perplexing  two  gov- 
ernments. 

Bur  had  we  seen  the  same  men,  stealing 
quietly  out  of  the  city  at  nightfall,  passing 
stealthily  under  the  shadow  of  the  mighty 
Shway  Da-gong,  and  plunging  into  the  track- 
less jungle  which  lay  behind  the  great  pa- 
goda, hastening  to  the  first  Karen  village,  and 
arousing  the  head  men,  —  then  passing  rapidly 
by  paths  known  only  to  themselves,  and  warn- 
ing the  scattered  hamlets  along  the  Pegu 
Yomah  Mountains,  —  we  would  have  realized 
the  truth  that  an  oppressed  people  were  about 
to  be  delivered,  and  that  the  coming  of  the 
English  fleet  was  recognized  as  the  answer  to  a 
nation's  prayer. 

So  soon  as   the   ultimatum    of   the    English 


88  THE   VINTONS    AND   THE    KARENS. 

authorities  in  Calcutta  —  the  Governor-general 
and  Council  of  the  East  India  Company  —  was 
received  by  the  Burmans,  preparations  were 
made  for  resistance.  The  old  fortifications  in 
the  vicinity  of  Rangoon  had  fallen  into  disre- 
pair ;  but  the  Burmans  began  rebuilding  the 
immense  stockade  around  Shway  Da-gong,  and 
erecting  batteries  at  various  points  on  the  river- 
bank,  and  on  the  crests  of  the  low  hills  near 
the  city. 

As  in  former  wars,  the  Karens  were  compelled 
to  leave  their  homes  to  work  on  the  fortifica- 
tions, to  build  bridges,  and  to  cut  roads  through 
the  pathless  forest,  and  were  even  driven  at  the 
point  of  the  spear  into  the  ranks  to  fight  against 
their  deliverers.  The  Burmans,  however,  soon 
found  that  it  was  no  use  to  attempt  to  make  the 
Karens  fight.  Not  a  bullet  from  a  Karen  musket 
ever  reached  the  English  ranks.  The  Karens 
either  fired  into  the  air,  and  deserted  in  a  body 
to  the  enemy,  or  else  fell,  pierced  by  the  bullets 
of  the  men  for  whose  coming  they  had  so  ear- 
nestly prayed.' 

*  After  one  of  the  skirmishes  in  front  of  Rangoon,  the 
English  troops  sent  out  to  bury  the  dead  found  a  number 
of  Karens  among  the  killed.  Upon  their  breasts  were  found 
copies  of  the  Gospels,  or  fragments  of  the  Epistles,  revealing 
the  fact  that  they  were  Christians. 


BURMESE    BOASTING.  89 

Before  hostilities  began,  the  Burmans  made 
light  of  the  coming  of  the  English.  They 
would  whet  their  knives  before  the  Karens,  and 
perform  their  war-dances,  and  say,  "We  will  soon 
drive  these  pale-faces  back  into  the  sea  whence 
they  came.  They  have  no  strength,  and  one 
Burman  can  drive  a  hundred  of  the  coward  red- 
coats. They  took  Rangoon  once  before,  but 
they  gave  it  up  again.  You  will  soon  see  their 
ships  returning,  or  else  sunk  deep  in  the  river ; 
and  then  we  will  make  these  Karen  dogs  feel 
our  vengeance.  They  want  the  English  to 
come ;  and,  when  we  have  driven  their  white 
friends  forever  from  the  country,  we  will  attend 
to  them.  We  will  flay  them  alive,  roast  them 
over  slow  fires,  and  none  shall  deliver  them  out 
of  our  hands." 

They  talked  loudly,  but  ran  away  at  the  first 
fire,  save  when  they  were  sheltered  by  stockades 
or  the  curiously  shaped  pits  in  which  they  in- 
trenched themselves.  After  some  of  the  fights 
dead  gunners  were  found  chained  to  the  guns, 
a  happy  expedient  to  keep  them  from  deserting 
in  action.  One  post  after  another  fell  before 
the  English,  one  hastily  gathered  army  after 
another  was  defeated,  and  successive  generals 
were  beheaded  '' pour encourager les  autres ;''  but 


90  THE    VINTONS   AND    THE    KARENS. 

the  only  effect  on  the  Burmans  was  to  increase 
their  rage  against  the  Karens,  whom  they  re- 
garded as  the  cause  of  all  their  misfortunes. 

They  burned  their  villages  and  standing 
crops ;  they  pounded  the  children  to  death  in 
rice-mortars,  or  threw  them  into  the  air,  and 
caught  them,  as  they  fell,  upon  spears ;  they 
tied  women  to  the  horns  of  buffaloes,  and  tore 
them  limb  from  limb ;  they  cut  men  to  pieces, 
slowly  hacking  them  to  death  through  succes- 
sive days.  They  even,  with  devilish  ingenuity, 
crucified  some  Christian  Karens,  and,  fastening 
the  crosses  on  rafts,  set  them  adrift  upon  the 
river,  that  they  might  be  tortured  in  their  intol- 
erable thirst  by  the  sight  of  the  cooling  stream. 
Some  of  these  unfortunates  drifted  down  to  the 
English  fleet  before  death  put  an  end  to  their 
sufferings.  English  surgeons  did  all  that  was 
possible  to  save  them,  but  in  vain. 

Tidings  of  these  intolerable  sufferings  soon 
reached  Maulmain  ;  and  Mr.  Vinton,  yielding 
alike  to  the  agonizing  cry  of  the  seventeen 
Karen  churches  in  Rangoon,  the  beseeching  of 
Eugenio  Kincaid,  and  the  unanimous  solicita- 
tions of  the  missionaries  in  Maulmain,  went  at 
once    to    Rangoon.      Had   he   waited   the   six 


DEFENCE    OF    MR.    VINTON.  9I 

months  which  would  have  been  necessary  to 
refer  the  call  of  the  Rangoon  Karens  to  the 
Board  of  the  Missionary,  Union  in  Boston,  and 
to  have  received  their  formal  authorization  of 
his  transfer,  he  would  have  escaped  the  condem- 
nation of  those  who  afterward  blamed  him  for 
having  *' acted  on  his  own  responsibility;"  but 
what  was  the  man  to  do  ? 

More  than  this  :  four  months  previous  a  joint 
letter,  signed  by  Eugenio  Kincaid,  Dr.  Dawson, 
and  Mr.  Vinton,  had  been  sent  to  Boston  to  the 
Missionary  Union,  urging  the  vital  importance 
of  Mr.  Vinton's  remaining  in  Rangoon,  where 
he  was  then  on  a  hurried  visit  in  company  with 
his  sister,  the  devoted  Miranda  Vinton.  This 
was  before  hostilities  began.  If,  in  the  judgment 
of  such  a  man  as  Dr.  Kincaid,  it  was  necessary 
that  Mr.  Vinton  should  take  up  his  residence  in 
Rangoon  at  that  date,  how  much  more  was  this 
necessary  when  the  poor  Karen  Christians  were 
being  rent  and  torn,  and  when  according  to 
Mr.  Kincaid's  published  letter  of  April,  1857, 
"  three  natwe  preachers  had  already  been  cruci- 
fiedy  and  five  thousand  refugee  Karens  were 
living  in  carts  and  under  trees  within  seven 
miles  of  Rangoon,  while  all  the  strong,  efficient 


92  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

men  were  from  ten  to  fifteen  miles  farther  in- 
land, holding  the  Burman  forces  in  check  "  !  ^ 

When  Mr.  Vinton  arrived  in  Rangoon,  he 
found  the  Burmese  part  of  the  city  in  ruins. 
The  wells  and  tanks  were  choked  with  dead 
bodies.  Under  the  ruins  of  each  native  house 
was  to  be  seen  a  deep  pit.  These  had  been 
prepared  as  hiding-places  for  the  women  and 
children  during  the  bombardment.  When  the 
city  was  set  on  fire  by  the  shells,  the  sight  of 
shrieking  women  and  children  rushing  through 
the  flames  was  described  by  the  survivors  as 
horrible  in  the  extreme. 

Mr.  Vinton  and  Mr.  Kincaid  obtained  per- 
mission to  occupy  two  deserted  monasteries 
inside  of  the  stockade ;  and,  six  weeks  after  the 
capture  of  the  city,  their  families  came  over 
from  Maulmain. 

As  soon  as  it  was  rumored  abroad  that 
"  Teacher  Vinton  "  had  come,  the  refugees  who 
bad  been  driven  from  their  burning  homes, 
with  nothing  but  the  clothes  they  wore,  and 
who  had  been  living  secreted  in  the  forests 
and  jungles,   subsisting  upon  roots  and  herbs 

*  E.  Kincaid,  D.D.,  April,  1857.  He  says  also,  in  the  same 
letter,  "  Every  Karen  village  within  fifty  miles  of  Rangoon  was 
burned,  ?in4  their  stores  of  rice  either  seized  or  destroyed." 


A    BURMAN    ZAYAT. 


93 


CARE    FOR    THE    SICK.  95 

and  what  game  they  could  trap,  came  crowding 
into  the  city. 

They  filled  the  monasteries  in  which  the  Vin- 
tons  v/ere,  and  camped  out  under  the  trees  on 
the  slope  in  front  of  Shway  Dagong. 

They  brought  with  them  almost  every  ima- 
ginable disease ;  and  the  cases  of  small-pox 
increased  in  number  so  rapidly,  that  it  soon 
became  necessary  for  Mr.  Vinton  to  build  a  hos- 
pital for  them.  With  the  self-forgetfulness  so 
characteristic  of  both  himself  and  wife,  this 
hospital  was  placed  close  to  their  own  house, 
**  so  that  we  could  better  care  for  the  cases  which 
needed  us  most,''  Mrs.  Vinton  simply  said.  Her 
first  duty  in  the  morning  was  to  make  the 
rounds  of  the  various  buildings  and  shelters, 
administering  medicine  to  the  sick,  consolation 
to  the  bereaved,  and  infusing  new  courage  into 
the  hearts  of  the  poor,  homeless,  dispirited 
creatures  who  looked  on  her  as  an  angel  of 
deliverance. 

A  letter  written  at  this  time  to  friends  in 
Woodstock,  Conn.,  will  give  a  better  idea  of 
the  scenes  of  this  sad  time  than  any  descrip- 
tion of  ours : — 

"  Let  me  introduce  to  you  a  few  of  my  suffering  fam- 
ily. 


96  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

"  In  the  next  room  to  us  lies  Lai-nyo,  he  and  his  fam- 
ily all  sick  with  measles.  He  has  been  employed  in  our 
Maulmain  mission  for  several  years  ;  and,  as  both  he  and 
his  wife  were  educated  under  our  care,  they  seem  to  us 
like  our  own  children. 

"  They  must  have  something  to  eat  and  some  medi- 
cine when  we  come  back  ;  but  w^e  must  now  step  into 
another  building,  about  ten  feet  from  the  corner  of  our 
house. 

"  There,  nearest  the  door,  lies  a  poor  woman  sick  with 
small-pox.  She  is  one  of  four  thousand  refugees  who 
have  been  driven  from  their  homes,  and  have  been  hid- 
ing in  the  jungle,  sleeping  on  the  ground,  exposed  to  the 
burning  heat  by  day  and  the  dews  by  night,  for  three  or 
four  months.  When  she  found  she  was  taken  with  this 
dreadful  disease,  she  said,  '  Carry  me  to  the  woman.  I 
will  die  with  her,  if  I  am  to  die  ;  and,  if  I  get  well,  I  will 
get  well  with  her.' 

"  She  was  brought  in  five  or  six  days  ago ;  but,  poor 
thing  !  she  will  soon  be  where  the  wicked  cease  from 
troubling,  and  the  weary  are  at  rest.  Behind  her  lie  her 
two  daughters,  ill  with  the  same  disease  ;  but  they  have 
youth  on  their  side,  and  may  recover.  The  husband  and 
father  helped  to  bring  them  in,  but  had  to  return  at  once 
to  the  encampment  to  take  care  of  another  daughter 
who  was  too  ill  to  be  moved. 

"  There  in  the  corner  lies  one  of  our  most  promising 
theological  students.  He  was  taken  with  small-pox  at 
Kemmendine,  and  brought  in  ten  days  ago.  A  few 
hours  after  he  reached  us  he  heard  that  his  mother  and 
grandmother  had  been  seized  by  the  Burmans,  and  most 
cruelly  put  to  death,  some  say  crucified. 


DEATH    OF    PAH-YAH.  9/ 

"  But  let  us  go  and  speak  to  him.  Perhaps  you  never 
saw  one  sick  with  small-pox.  If  not,  make  up  your  mind 
to  see  sujffering.  As  we  pull  up  the  curtains  which  are 
over  him  to  keep  the  flies  off,  —  oh,  what  a  stench  !  A 
mass  of  corruption  from  head  to  foot !  There  is  not  a 
place  as  large  as  the  hand  which  is  not  one  running  sore. 
The  doctor  says  he  cannot  live.  About  two  hours  ago 
I  came  out  here  to  urge  him  to  take  some  food. 

"  I  said,  '  What  will  you  have  ?  ' 

"  '  Nothing,'  was  the  reply. 

" '  But  I  have  some  nice  sago  and  arrowroot ;  or,  if 
you  prefer,  I  will  get  you  a  cup  of  tea  and  some  bread.' 

"  '  No,  no  :  I  want  neither.' 

" '  How  is  your  mind  ? ' 

" '  Happy,  happy  ! ' 

"  '  What  is  your  chief  desire  ?' 

" '  To  get  well,  and  preach  the  gospel ;  but  all  will  be 
right  now.  If  I  die,  I  will  go  directly  to  Jesus.  If  I 
live,  I  will  serve  him  here.' 

"  '  Is  your  heart  steadfastly  fixed  on  God  ? ' 

"  '  //  is  all  peace^  is  the  answer.  Yes,  precious  soul, 
all  is  peace  within,  notwithstanding  this  loathsome  ex- 
terior. Jesus  is  here,  the  hope  of  glory.  If  there  are 
missionary  trials,  there  are  also  missionary  joys  ;  and 
what  can  exceed  the  joy  of  seeing  a  soul  like  this  plum- 
ing its  wings  for  heaven !  True,  we  are  loath  to  part 
with  him.  We  need  him  to  preach  the  gospel  to  his 
countrymen  throughout  the  jungle.  Our  only  ordained 
preacher  is  dead,  and  the  last  two  of  the  assistants,  and 
now  we  must  part  with  meek  and  lovely  Pah-yah. 

"  Well,  we  will  go  on  to  the  girls'  boarding-house.  It 
is  a  poor,  rickety  thing.     You  must  stoop  to  get  under 


98  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

the  low  eaves,  and  then  take  a  high  step  to  reach  the 
floor. 

"  Just  by  the  door  lies  a  whole  family  of  refugees,  sick 
with  the  measles,  and  one  has  whooping-cough  super- 
added. The  father  can  just  sit  up,  and  lean  his  back 
against  a  post.  He  is  watching  his  wife,  who  is  suffer- 
img  for  want  of  breath. 

"  The  measles  have  struck  in  upon  her  lungs,  and  she 
cannot  live  many  hours.  Her  babe  lies  crying  by  her 
side,  sick  for  want  of  food  and  care  ;  for  its  mother  has 
not  been  able  to  nurse  it  for  two  days. 

"  Next  to  her  lies  the  one  having  both  measles  and 
whooping-cough.  In  the  corner  lies  the  oldest  son,  just 
recovering  from  measles  ;  but  he  is  suffering  from  oph- 
thalmia, and  is  almost  stone-blind. 

"  Another  daughter  lies  in  the  next  room,  sick  with 
dysentery,  yet  crying  for  a  plantain.  Near  her  is  a 
widow,  whose  husband  has  just  died  with  cholera,  leav- 
ing her  with  four  little  children.  They  have  all  had  the 
measles  and  small-pox,  and  are  wasted  to  mere  skeletons. 

"  On  beyond  are  several  houses  yet  unvisited ;  but  I 
spare  you.  You  are  not  yet  accustomed  to  so  much 
suffering,  and  you  shudder  at  it." 

After  speaking  at  some  length  of  the  recep- 
tion that  same  day  of  a  box  of  clothing  from 
the  ladies  to  vi^hom  she  was  writing,  and  after 
thanking  them  for  their  generous  gifts,  she 
says  :  — 

^^  Evening.  —  We  are  seated  around  the  table  with 
brother  Kincaid  and  family.     The  opening  of  a  box  from 


DEATH    OF    PAH-YAH.  99 

America  is  a  matter  of  so  much  rejoicing  that  we  have 
to  call  in  our  neighbors  to  be  glad  with  us.  But,  alas  ! 
where  is  rejoicing?  One  has  come  in  to  tell  us  that  the 
poor  woman's  freed  spirit  has  soared  above.  After  tea 
we  open  a  bundle  of  precious  books  from  America.  We 
read  and  talk  of  home.  Our  feelings  are  tender ;  but 
another  messenger  comes  to  tell  us  that  the  other  woman 
has  ceased  to  breathe,  and  her  child  cannot  live  long ; 
also  that  Pah-yah  cannot  speak. 

"  Mr.  Vinton  hastens  out  to  him,  but  he  is  insensible. 
We  separate  for  the  night  with  sad  hearts. 

'"'' Sunday  mortiing.  —  The  sun  has  risen,  bright  and 
cheerful,  but,  alas  !  its  cheerful  light  falls  on  sad  faces. 

"  About  midnight  Pah-yah  became  stronger,  called  his 
friends  around  him,  and  said,  '  Let  me  serve  God  until 
the  last  moment.' 

"  He  then  gave  directions  about  his  funeral,  how  he 
wished  to  be  bathed,  laid  out  in  clean  clothes,  and  buried. 

"  '  And  now,'  said  he,  '  let  us  pray.'  As  the  prayer 
ceased,  he  was  asleep  in  Jesus.  Oh,  what  a  happy  sab- 
bath to  him ! 

"  He  has  met  a  martyred  mother  and  grandmother  in 
the  presence  of  the  Lamb. 

"  The  child  also  died  in  the  night,  and  all  four  are  to 
be  buried  to-day. 

"  Tuesday. —  Lai-nyo's  child  died  to-day,  and  we  have 
just  buried  it.  It  seemed  like  a  grandchild  to  me,  but 
it  has  gone  to  sleep  on  Jesus'  breast.  While  at  break- 
fast this  morning,  we  saw  a  man  carried  by  the  door  to 
the  hospital.  It  is  a  bad  case,  and  somewhat  advanced, 
and  I  fear  will  result  fatally  ;  but  we  must  try  and  smooth 
his  pathway  to  the  grave. 


100  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

"  Every  account  from  the  jungles  is  one  of  suffering 
and  sorrow.  Our  feelings  are  continually  lacerated  by 
the  tales  of  how  the  Burmans  are  robbing,  plundering, 
burning,  and  destroying  the  whole  country.  The  Karens 
are  truly  in  the  furnace  of  affliction,  but  our  Father 
guides^ 

The  foregoing  gives  a  little  glimpse  of  a  part, 
and  but  a  small  part,  of  the  Vintons'  labors 
during  the  first  year  of  their  residence  in  Ran- 
goon. Mrs.  Vinton  had  a  large  school  of  some 
two  hundred  pupils  during  most  of  this  time. 
In  it  were  gathered  old  men  and  women  for 
whom  spectacles  had  to  be  purchased,  mothers 
with  babes  in  their  arms,  fathers  and  sons  sit- 
ting on  the  same  bench,  learning  to  read  the 
word  of  God  ;  and  all  listened  to  the  message 
of  salvation  with  all  the  more  readiness,  be- 
cause it  came  from  those  who  had  proved  their 
sincerity  by  feeding  the  hungry,  sheltering  the 
homeless,  caring  for  the  sick  and  dying,  and 
providing  for  the  orphan  and  widow. 

Not  a  Sunday  passed  without  baptisms. 
Scarcely  a  day  but  what  companies  came  in 
from  the  jungles,  some  for  books  and  medicine, 
many  for  advice  and  consolation  ;  and  to  all  was 
the  gospel  preached  in  faithfulness.  That  was 
a  glorious  harvest-time  ;  and  though  they  had 


DR.    KINCAID  S    LETTER.  lOI 

never  worked  so  hard,  or  passed  through  such 
soul-harrowing  scenes,  literally  weeping  with 
those  who  wept  until  they  almost  forgot  how  to 
smile  or  be  glad,  yet  Mr.  Vinton  in  after-years 
often  said,  "  I  would  go  through  it  all  again  for 
the  joy  of  seeing  souls  come  flocking  into  the 
kingdom,  and  for  the  opportunities  we  then  had 
of  doing  good." 

Dr.  Kincaid,  in  a  letter  written  about  the 
same  time,  and  published  in  1857,  says  :  — 

"  The  Lord  rolled  on  us  an  amount  of  labor  never 
known  by  us  before.  The  peoples'  hearts  were  softened 
like  wax.  The  arm  of  the  Lord  was  made  bare,  and  the 
gospel  wrought  mightily  upon  the  people.  We  had  Pen- 
costal  seasons  almost  every  week,  preaching  daily  and 
every  evening,  male  and  female  prayer-meetings  every 
week,  baptizing  converts  every  sabbath,  hundreds  cured 
of  diseases. 

"  During  the  rains  two  hundred  and  fifty  Karens 
learned  to  read  the  word  of  God,  who  could  not  read 
before.  Over  thirty  young  men  received  biblical  instruc- 
tion preparatory  to  labor  in  the  distant  villages,  some  as 
preachers,  some  as  school-teachers. 

"  Such  was  our  work,  but  not  all.  Thousands  were 
suffering  in  all  parts  of  the  country ;  and  they  could  go 
nowhere  for  advice  and  sympathy  except  to  us,  their 
teachers.  No  others  could  understand  their  language ; 
no  others  could  feel  for  them.  Before  the  rains  were 
over,  a  new  Burmese  army,  under  the  command  of  the 


102  THE   VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

king's  father-in-law,  and  numbering  fifteen  thousand 
strong,  had  fortified  themselves  in  Pegu.  Detachments 
of  three  or  four  hundred  in  a  body  were  ravaging  the 
country.  .  .  .  Many  disciples  had  fallen  by  the  cruel 
dagger  of  the  Burman,  or  had  been  sold  into  slavery. 
.  .  .  Some  five  thousand  families  living  in  carts  had 
come  within  eight  miles  of  Rangoon  to  escape  from  the 
Burmans.  .  .  .  We  visited  these  refugees  in  the  wilder- 
ness. We  found  large  numbers  of  our  disciples,  and 
their  thankfulness  to  see  us  and  hear  us  was  deeply 
affecting. 

"  They  asked  Mr.  Vinton  to  sing  and  pray  with  them. 
Such  an  assembly  is  rarely  seen." 

Steadily  did  the  little  English  army  advance, 
taking  town  after  town  and  fort  after  fort,  all 
the  time  offering  to  treat  with  their  proud  and 
scornful  enemies  whenever  they  should  show 
any  desire  to  come  to  terms. 

It  was  not,  however,  until  Ava,  the  **  City 
of  the  Golden  Foot,"  was  threatened,  that  the 
king  would  yield.  A  treaty  was  made,  and  peace 
proclaimed  ;  but  it  was  long  ere  peace  came  to 
the  harassed  and  persecuted  Karens.  Indeed, 
it  seemed  for  a  time  as  if  matters  were  worse 
than  during  the  war  ;  for  detachments  of  the 
disbanded  Burman  army  were  flying  in  every 
direction ;  and  wherever  they  went  they  left 
nothing  behind  them  but  smoking  villages  and 


REMOVAL    TO    KEMMENDINE.  IO3 

mutilated  bodies  of  the  dead.  In  the  vicinity 
of  Rangoon,  robberies  and  murders  were  of 
nightly  occurrence. 

Shortly  after  peace  was  declared,  it  became 
necessary  for  the  Vintons  to  leave  the  ruined 
old  monastery  which  had  so  far  sheltered  them  ; 
and  they  moved  to  a  beautiful  spot  two  miles 
from  the  stockade,  where  Mr.  Vinton  com- 
menced putting  up  buildings  for  the  accommo- 
dation -of  his  family  and  of  the  large  school 
which  followed  him  to  his  new  home. 

The  removal  was  necessitated  by  an  order 
from  the  English  government,  compelling  the 
vacating  of  all  the  religious  buildings  which  had 
been  occupied  during  the  war. 

With  the  increased  accommodation  Mrs.  Vin- 
ton's school  increased  in  numbers  ;  and  she  soon 
had  competent  teachers  trained,  not  only  to 
lighten  her  own  daily  labors,  but  to  take  charge 
of  the  village  schools  which  were  springing  up 
wherever  the  country  was  sufficiently  quiet  for 
the  Karens  to  return  to  their  homes. 

Great  anxiety  was  expressed  by  the  English 
friends  of  the  mission  at  its  removal  so  far  from 
the  fort  as  to  Kemmendine ;  and  fears  were 
freely  expressed  that  they  would  all  be  found 
murdered  in  their  beds  :  but  the  "  arrow  by  day 


I04  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

and  the  terror  by  night "  came  not  near  them. 
We  doubt  if  there  was  a  man  in  Burmah  who 
would  lift  his  hand  against  Mr.  Vinton,  so  much 
was  he  revered  and  beloved,  both  by  Karens  and 
Burmans. 

After  a  time,  the  new  buildings  at  Kemmen- 
dine  being  completed,  the  work  of  the  mission 
began  to  move  on  with  system  and  regularity; 
and  the  prospect  was,  that  a  few  months  would 
behold  the  country  tranquillized,  and  the  great- 
est obstacles  to  jungle-work  removed.  For  a 
short  time  the  hearts  of  the  faithful  missiona- 
ries exulted  in  the  prospect  of  an  extension  of 
the  special  work  of  preaching  the  gospel  in  the 
regions  newly  opened  to  the  truth.  These 
hopes,  however,  were  destined  to  a  sad  revul- 
sion. 


FAMINE.  105 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

"  Go,  labor  on :  'tis  not  for  nought ; 
Thy  earthly  loss  is  heavenly  gain  ; 
Men  heed  thee,  love  thee,  praise  thee  not: 
The  Master  praises  —  what  are  men  ? " 

A  NEW  trial  was  coming  upon  the  devoted 
Karens.  They  had  endured  war  and  pestilence : 
now  famine,  with  all  its  attendant  horror,  stared 
them  in  the  face.  Their  stores  of  rice  had  been 
burned  or  stolen,  their  cattle  had  been  driven 
off,  and  they  had  neither  seed  to  sow  nor  buffa- 
loes to  till  the  fields.  The  country  had  been  so 
pillaged  and  laid  waste,  that  both  Burmans  and 
Karens  began  to  feel  the  scarcity  of  food. 
Ship-loads  of  rice  came  from  Calcutta,  and  it 
was  sold  for  six  and  seven  times  the  usual  price. 
Those  who  had  money  bought ;  but  there  were 
thousands  who  had  lost  all  by  robbers,  especially 
among  the  Karens.  Thousands  had  eaten  their 
last  meal  of  rice,  and  were  subsisting  on  wild 
roots  and  herbs. 

As  children  look  to  their  parents  for  counsel 


I06  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

and  assistance,  so  had  the  Karens,  both  Chris- 
tian and  heathen,  learned  to  look  to  Mr.  Vinton  ; 
and  they  came  to  him  in  this  new  trial. 

He  commenced  giving  out  the  little  store  of 
rice  which  he  had  laid  in  for  the  school.  This 
was  soon  exhausted,  and  he  procured  a  few 
hundred  bushels  more.  But  the  news  spread 
that  there  was  rice  at  Teacher  Vinton's ;  and 
the  people  began  coming  in  companies,  be- 
seeching him  for  food  for  their  starving  families. 
The  tales  of  suffering  and  woe  which  they 
brought  were  heart-sickening.  Stalwart  men, 
emaciated  from  want,  and  weary  and  dusty  from 
the  long  journey,  bearing  in  their  skinny  arms 
the  basket  or  bag  to  contain  the  rice  they  hoped 
to  receive,  came  beseeching  aid. 

Some  fell  fainting  at  Mr.  Vinton's  door,  and 
must  be  carried  in  and  carefully  fed  back  to  life, 
little  by  little,  until  sufficiently  strong  to  ven- 
ture on  the  return  journey.  It  was  worth  some- 
thing to  see  the  eagerness  and  joy  with  which 
they  started  for  their  homes,  carrying  with 
them  the  precious  treasure  that  should  bring 
back  life  and  vigor  to  the  wasted  forms  of  wife 
and  children,  lying  helpless  and  ready  to  die,  in 
the  desolate  dwellings  far  away.  Soon  the  sec- 
ond store  of  rice  was  exhausted.     Meantime  the 


FAMINE.  107 

people  were  dying  in  the  streets ;  and  every 
morning  the  authorities  sent  out  to  collect  and 
bury  the  dead.' 

Any  one  supposed  to  possess  a  secret  store 
of  rice  was  murdered  in  order  to  obtain  it.  A 
man  who  lived  not  half  a  mile  from  the  mission 
premises  was  set  upon  one  night,  was  tortured 
until  he  told  where  he  had  hid  the  little  rice  he 
had  saved,  and  then,  with  fiendish  cruelty,  the 
robbers  forced  the  dry  grain  down  his  throat, 
filled  his  nose  and  ears  with  it,  and  finally  drove 
a  sharp  stake  down  the  throat  quite  through 
the  body,  and  left  him  to  die.  The  people  in 
the  adjoining  houses  heard  the  cries  and 
screams  ;  but,  in  that  dreadful  time  of  terror, 
none  dared  to  interfere.  At  one  time  more 
than  thirty  government  boats,  laden  with  com- 
missariat stores,  were  cut  off  by  a  band  of 
robbers.  Even  an  armed  mail-boat  had  been 
captured  by  robbers,  and  the  boatmen  killed, 
and  the  mails  rifled. 

Mr.  Vinton  had  given  out  the  last  bushel  of 
rice  he  had  in  store,  and  still  there  were  thou- 
sands of  suffering  Karens  who  did  not  know 
where  to  look  for  their  next  meal.  He  was  not 
the  man  to  stand  helplessly  wringing  his  hands, 

*  Dr.  Kincaid. 


I08  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

while  people  were  starving  to  death  before  his 
eyes.  So  soon  as  the  last  of  the  rice  in  store 
was  exhausted,  he  went  down  to  the  rice-mer- 
chants and  said,  *'  Will  you  trust  me  for  a  ship- 
load of  rice  ?  I  cannot  pay  you  now,  and  I  do 
not  know  when  I  can  pay  you ;  for  I  have  re- 
ceived no  remittance  from  America  for  over  a 
year.  I  cannot  see  this  people  die  before  my 
eyes.  If  you  let  me  have  the  rice,  I  will  pay 
you  as  soon  as  I  am  able."     They  answered, — 

"Mr.  Vinton,  take  all  the  rice  you  want. 
Your  word  is  all  the  security  we  want.  You 
can  have  a  dozen  cargoes  if  you  wish." 

He  filled  his  granaries  and  outbuildings  with 
rice ;  and  the  work  of  distribution  went  on. 
At  first  he  supplied  only  Christians,  and  tried 
to  keep  a  regular  account  of  the  amounts  given 
out;  but  he  found  that  he  could  not  turn  a 
starving  man  away  because  he  happened  to  be 
a  heathen  ;  and,  as  the  applicants  increased  so 
rapidly,  it  was  useless  to  attempt  to  keep  a 
record,  and  he  gave  freely  to  all  who  came. 

Some  of  his  friends  became  alarmed  and  said, 
"  Mr.  Vinton,  you  are  ruining  yourself.  You 
do  not  know  the  names  of  one  half  the  people 
to  whom  you  are  giving  this  rice.  How  do  you 
expect  to  get  your  pay  .'*  " 


THOUSANDS  CONVERTED,         lOQ 

His  answer  was,  ''  God  will  see  to  that." 
And  He  did  see  to  it.  Every  cent  of  the  money- 
expended  was  refunded ;  and  the  interest  of  that 
money  was  laid  up  in  heaven  in  the  jewels  that 
now  deck  his  crown  of  rejoicing.  It  is  doubtful 
if,  at  the  time,  even  he  recognized  the  impor- 
tance of  this  work  of  love.  It  was  not  till  after 
the  famine  was  over,  and  he  went  out  among 
the  people,  that  he  found  that  that  one  act  had 
opened  the  hearts  of  the  heathen  to  receive  the 
message  which  he  brought,  as  nothing  else 
could  have  done.  They  gathered  around  him 
in  crowds.  They  brought  their  wives  and  chil- 
dren to  look  upon  their  deliverer.  They  said, 
"This  is  the  man  who  saved  our  lives,  and  the 
lives  of  our  little  ones  :  his  religion  is  the  one 
we  want."  In  the  excess  of  their  joy  and  grati- 
tude, he  had  difficulty  in  preventing  some  of  the 
heathen  from  worshipping  him.  That  was  a 
blessed  reaping-time.  Thousands  were  baptized, 
churches  were  organized,  chapels  and  school- 
houses  were  built,  and  the  hearts  of  both  Bur- 
mans  and  Karens  were  turned  toward  God 
as  never  before. 

The  Maulmain  churches  which  he  had  plant- 
ed during  eighteen  years  of  labor,  mourned  his 
absence ;   but  they  rejoiced  that  the  Rangoon 


no  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

Karens,  who  had  waded  through  such  bloody 
persecution,  had  such  a  leader  and  helper. 
To-day,  though  he  has  been  in  his  heavenly 
home  more  than  twenty  years,  the  name  of 
Justus  Hatch  Vinton  is  a  talisman  through 
the  jungles  of  all  that  country.  The  Karens 
speak  it  with  moistened  eyes  and  bated  breath  : 
they  still  say,  in  hushed  tones,  ''He  saved  our 
lives  r 

We  have  no  desire  to  revive  old  disputes 
which  have  long  been  settled  by  the  logic  of 
events,  nor  to  re-awaken  differences  which  have 
disappeared  in  the  light  of  "that  City  which  hath 
no  need  of  the  sun  by  day,  nor  of  the  moon  by 
night;"  but  simple  justice  to  the  memory  of 
this  man  of  God  requires  that  we  should  point 
out  the  coincidence  in  point  of  time  between 
these  remarkably  successful  and  self-denying 
labors  for  Christ  and  suffering  humanity,  and 
the  passing  of  that  vote  of  censure  which  re- 
sulted in  the  severance  of  his  connection  with 
the  society  of  which  he  had  been  for  more  than 
twenty  years  a  faithful  servant. 

His  justification  has  come  sooner  than  he 
expected.  The  present  wise,  temperate,  and 
enlightened  policy  of  the  Missionary  Union, 
which  has  borne  such  wonderful  fruits  during 


CENSURE  FROM  BRETHREN.        Ill 

the  past  few  years,  is  far  more  aggressive  than 
the  measures  which  Justus  Vinton  even  con- 
templated, and  for  attempting  which  he  was  so 
severely  censured  by  some  of  his  brethren  of 
that  day. 

It  has  been  said  that  every  wholly  conse- 
crated life  must  have  its  Calvary ;  and  this, 
perhaps,  may  explain  why  God  not  only  ac- 
cepted the  heartfelt  consecration  of  his  life  and 
labors,  to  which  reference  is  so  frequently  made 
in  his  letters  of  that  period,  but  added  yet  the 
heavier  cross  of  misconstruction,  and  led  him 
by  the  via  dolorosa  which  ended  in  the  sacrifice 
of  cherished  friendships,  and  a  reputation  which 
was  dearer  than  life.  This  accomplished,  he 
committed  himself  wholly  to  Him  who  judgeth 
uprightly ;  and  with  one  exception,  not  even  in 
his  letters  to  his  nearest  friends,  do  we  find  any 
reference  to  the  troubles  of  that  period.  The 
exception  is  in  a  letter  to  Rev.  N.  Brown,  dated 
March  i8,  1857.     In  it  he  says  :  — 

"  With  regard  to  the  past,  though  I  have  attempted 
nothing  but  in  self-defence,  I  now  regret  that  I  should 
even  have  done  that ;  that  I  had  not  made  this  my  only 
answer,  '/  ajn  doing  a  great  work,  and  cannot  come 
down.'  As  for  the  future,  I  ask  for  nothing,  I  care  for 
nothing,  but  my  work.     I   have  no  wrongs  that  I   even 


112  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

wish  to  have  redressed.  As  to  an  organization,  I  have 
little  responsibility.  All  I  ask  is  one  which  will  not 
hinder  us  in  our  work.  With  such  an  organization,  old 
or  new^  I  am  prepared  to  co-operate  with  all  the  powers 
I  possess.  I  sent  in  my  resignation,  because  in  the  then 
existing  state  of  things  I  became  well  satisfied  that  there 
was  nothing  before  me,  if  I  continued,  but  defensive 
war,  and  I  must  have  peace  and  quiet." 

"  Sorrowful,  yet  always  rejoicing,"  he  went 
about  the  work  which  was,  alas,  too  soon  to  be 
finished ! 

He  received,  in  common  with  the  other  mis- 
sionaries I  who  withdrew  from  the  Missionary 
Union  on  account  of  the  action  of  the  unfortu- 
nate deputation,  a  cordial  invitation  to  unite 
with  the  American  Baptist  Free  Mission  Soci- 
ety, which  he  accepted  so  far  as  to  take  up  a 
nominal  connection  with  it. 

Though  he  received  no  specified  salary  from 
that  society,  it  very  kindly  acted  as  his  finan- 
cial agent  in  the  collection  and  transmission  of 
funds,  and  in  the  publishing  in  this  country  of 
his  reports  and  letters. 

From  this  time  forward,  however,  the  funds 
which  carried  on  this  large  mission  were  con- 

»  D.  L.  Brayton,  A.  T.  Rose,  J.  S.  Beecher,  N.  Brown,  D.D., 
and  N.  Harris. 


NATIVES    CONTRIBUTING.  II3 

tributed  mainly  by  native  Christians  and  by 
English  residents,  who  had  for  years  watched 
with  deep  interest  the  progress  of  this  marvel- 
lous work. 

In  1854,  at  Mr.  Vinton's  suggestion,  the  Ka- 
rens of  the  Rangoon  district  had  organized  the 
Karen  Home  Mission  Society,  the  first  society 
of  the  kind  ever  formed  in  Burmah,  and,  so  far 
as  we  know,  the  first  ever  formed  on  heathen 
soil. 

The  natives  were  already  supporting  their 
own  pastors  and  schools  ;  but  this  organization 
was  intended  for  aggressive  work  among  the 
heathen.  At  the  first  annual  meeting,  thirty 
pastors  and  three  hundred  lay  delegates  were 
present.  For  the  special  work  of  sending  evan- 
gelists to  the  regions  beyond,  six  hundred  ru- 
pees had  been  raised,  and  eight  men  employed. 
Over  two  hundred  rupees  had  been  given  for 
Mrs.  Vinton's  school  in  the  city,  and  six  hun- 
dred children  had  been  taught  in  the  village 
schools.  Three  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
thirty  rupees  had  been  contributed  toward  the 
erection  of  *'  Frank's  Chapel,"  a  work  in  which 
the  native  Christians  took  increasing  interest. 
The  people  pledged  themselves  to  try  to  raise 
five  thousand  rupees  the  coming  year  for  benev- 


114  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

olent  objects,  outside  of  their  home  expenses. 
Two  of  the  principal  business-men  promised  to 
give  one-half  of  their  profits  for  the  year  to  the 
mission.  We  are  thus  minute  in  these  details, 
because  the  history  of  these  times  has  never 
been  written.  Mr.  Vinton  was  not  only  averse 
to  resorting  to  popular  methods  of  advertising 
his  work,  but  the  excessive  labors  of  the  last 
few  years  of  his  life  left  him  but  little  time  for 
journalizing  or  correspondence.  A  yearly  state- 
ment of  the  receipts  and  expenditures  of  the 
mission  was  carefully  prepared  and  published, 
and  with  this  such  incidental  facts  as  would  as- 
sure the  donors  that  their  contributions  had 
been  faithfully  and  conscientiously  applied. 

Beyond  this,  we  are  almost  entirely  depend- 
ent for  information  concerning  the  last  years 
of  his  life,  upon  Mrs.  Vinton's  letters  to  her 
children. 

It  is  time  that  we  should  give  some  further 
details  concerning  the  building  of  '*  Frank's 
Chapel,"  upon  the  erection  of  which  so  much 
of  the  future  success  of  the  mission  seemed 
to  depend.  Sufficient  funds  had  been  contrib- 
uted to  warrant  Mr.  Vinton  in  commencing  the 
work.  Plans  were  drawn  by  Capt.  Williams  of 
the  engineer  department  of  the  English  army ; 


BUILDING    FRANKS    CHAPEL.  II5 

and  he,  in  company  with  Major  Simpson  of  the 
same  service,  very  kindly  offered  to  superintend 
the  erection  of  the  building  without  compensa- 
tion. 

The  plans  furnished  by  Capt.  Williams  were 
for  a  building  much  more  elaborate  and  sub- 
stantial than  had  been  contemplated  at  first ; 
but  Mr.  Vinton  was  assured  by  English  resi- 
dents of  Rangoon,  that,  whatever  its  cost  might 
be,  it  should  be  paid  for. 

A  beautiful  location  had  been  selected  at 
Kemmendine,  on  a  bold  natural  terrace  over- 
looking the  Rangoon  River  and  the  wide-spread- 
ing plains  of  Dalla  beyond.  Through  the  solici- 
tation of  English  friends,  the  land  necessary 
had  been  made  a  free  gift  to  the  mission  by 
Lord  Dalhousie,  the  Governor-General  of  India, 

On  the  20th  of  May,  1855,  with  most  inter- 
esting ceremonies  and  earnest  prayers,  the  cor- 
ner-stone was  laid  by  Mr.  Vinton,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  large  assembly  of  native  and  English 
friends.  The  building,  when  completed,  was  to 
be  sixty  by  seventy  feet,  two  stories  high ;  the 
lower  part  being  designed  for  a  schoolroom,  and 
the  upper  part  for  the  church  services.  It  was 
built  in  the  most  substantial  manner,  of  brick, 
and  was  admirably  adapted  for  the  purposes  for 


Il6  THE    VINTONS   AND    THE    KARENS. 

which  it  was  designed.  It  was  to  be  used,  not 
alone  for  the  ordinary  services  of  the  mission, 
but  as  an  assembling  place  for  the  Home  Mis- 
sion, the  associations,  and  general  conventions. 
The  Rangoon  Karen  Mission  was,  at  this  time, 
the  largest  in  Burmah ;  and  a  want  had  long  been 
felt  for  a  building  sufficiently  commodious  to 
receive  the  large  numbers  who  gathered  at  the 
meetings  of  its  missionary  organizations. 

It  stands  to-day,  after  twenty-five  years,  as  the 
Vinton  Memorial. 


THE    MISSION    SETTLED.  11/ 


CHAPTER   IX. 

"Less,  less,  of  self  each  day, 
And  more,  my  God,  of  thee ; 
Oh  keep  me  in  the  way, 
However  rough  it  be  I 

"  Less  of  the  flesh  each  day, 
Less  of  the  world  and  sin ; 
More  of  thy  Son,  I  pray, 
More  of  Thyself  within." 

The  mission  was  now  definitely  settled  at 
Kemmendine,  on  the  land,  the  purchase  of 
which  was  the  objective  point  in  the  vote  of 
censure  passed  by  the  brethren  at  home  upon 
Mr.  Vinton.  The  work  was  systematized  and 
divided  into  departments.  Mrs.  Vinton  had 
the  entire  charge  of  the  Pegu  High  School, 
numbering  from  two  hundred  to  two  hundred 
and  fifty  pupils. 

Mr.  Vinton  had,  during  the  rains,  a  theologi- 
cal class  of  young  men,  who  were  soon  to  go 
forth  as  the  noble  band  of  native  preachers, 
which  is  now  the  strength  and  stay  of  the  Ran- 
<roon  and  Bassein  missions. 


115  THE    VIXTOXS    AND    THE    KAREXS. 

This  work  of  teaching  was  irksome  to  him,  as 
he  felt  that  his  special  work  was  to  preach  ;  but 
it  was  imperatively  necessary  that  the  young 
native  assistants  should  at  least  know  enough 
of  systematic  theology  to  enable  them  to  an- 
swer the  objections  urged  by  the  heathen,  par- 
ticularly the  Buddhists,  with  whom  they  came 
in  contact.  His  labors  were  confined  exclu- 
sively to  theological  instruction,  as  the  gen- 
eral educational  work  was  conducted  by  Mrs. 
Vinton. 

She  was  an  instructor  of  the  most  marked 
ability,  and  was  especially  gifted  with  a  fertility 
of  resource,  and  a  tact  for  expedients,  which 
contributed  in  no  small  degree  to  her  extraordi- 
nary success  as  an  educator.  Many  theories  of 
instruction,  which  are  only  now  being  tried  in 
America,  were  successfully  reduced  to  practice 
by  her  thirty  years  ago. 

The  public  examinations  of  her  schools  were 
always  largely  attended  by  English  officers  and 
their  wives,  who  took  a  deep  interest  in  her 
work,  both  in  Maulmain  and  Rangoon,  and  who 
contributed  most  generously  to  its  support. 

An  article  which  appeared  in  the  "  Witness  " 
after  her  death,  speaking  of  her  ability,  says  :  — 


MRS.    VINTON    AS    A    TEACHER.  IIQ 

"As  a  teacher,  she  had  few,  if  any,  equals.  When  on 
her  way  to  this  country  she  spent  some  weeks  in  Eng- 
land, and  went  to  visit  an  old  friend  in  Bristol.  The 
gentleman  was  the  superintendent  of  a  very  large  mis- 
sion school  in  the  suburbs  of  the  city;  and  he  spoke,  as 
he  was  going  to  his  post  of  duty,  one  sabbath,  in  regard 
to  a  class  of  rowdy  half-grown  boys,  saying  that  nothing 
could  be  done  with  them  unless  the  police  were  there. 
Mrs.  Vinton  said,  '  I  think  I  could  manage  them  without 
the  assistance  of  a  police  officer.'  Her  friend  replied 
that  he  should  like  to  see  her  try. 

"  She  went  and  took  her  seat  in  the  midst.  Her  pres- 
ence and  her  words  were  like  the  music  before  the  evil 
spirit  of  Saul.     The  lions  were  lambs. 

"  This  was  repeated  wiih  the  same  result  every  sabbath 
while  she  remained  there  ;  and  is  it  too  much  to  expect 
that  the  seeds  of  truth,  then  implanted  in  their  hearts, 
will  bring  forth  in  some  of  those  outcasts  the  fruits  of 
repentance  and  holiness  ?  " 

She  was  not  only  a  good  instructor,  but  an 
excellent  disciplinarian  as  well.  True,  she  had 
the  gentle  and  yielding  Karens  to  deal  with ; 
yet  it  was  no  small  task  to  keep  two  hundred 
and  fifty  pupils  in  order,  both  in  the  school  and 
out  of  it,  and  especially  when  the  matter  was 
complicated  by  the  presence  of  a  few  Burmese 
boys  in  the  school. 

Her  remedy  for  the  use  of  foul  language  (a 
vice  very  common  in  that  country)  was  to  call 


I20  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

the  whole  school  together,  and  make  the  offend- 
ers publicly  wash  out  their  mouths  with  strong 
soapsuds  ;  and  her  discipline  generally  appealed 
to  the  feelings  of  self-respect,  which  she  main- 
tained could  be  developed  in  the  most  ignorant 
and  degraded  by  judicious  treatment. 

Besides  teaching,  conversing  with  the  com- 
panies of  heathen  who  came  in  daily,  conduct- 
ing prayer-meetings  and  children's  meetings, 
acting  the  part  of  physician  and  nurse  to  her 
own  pupils  and  the  sick  in  the  neighborhood, 
making  and  translating  books,  writing  hymns, 
travelling  from  village  to  village  instructing  the 
people,  she  yet  found  time  to  educate  her  two 
children  with  such  fidelity  and  efficiency  that 
she  had  fitted  Brainerd  for  collesre  in  all  but 
Greek  before  he  was  fifteen  ;  and  Calista,  when 
sent  to  America  in  1854,  was  found  to  be  pre- 
pared to  enter  classes  of  girls  much  older  than 
herself. 

When  she  travelled  in  the  jungles  her  chil- 
dren accompanied  her  in  the  boat,  and  they 
were  expected  to  learn  their  lessons  as  regularly 
as  when  they  were  in  town. 

She  had  an  endless  fund  of  expedients  for 
interesting  them  in  their  studies  ;  and  many 
were  the  privileges  and  pleasures  granted,  upon 


STUDYING    GREEK.  121 

condition  that  the  lessons  for  the  day  were  well 
learned. 

One  of  her  masterpieces  of  strategy  in  her 
children's  estimation  was  when  she  taught 
them  the  rudiments  of  Greek  without  their 
knowing  it.  One  day  when  they  were  six  and 
eight  years  respectively,  they  begged  her  for  a 
new  picture-book,  saying  that  they  had  looked 
at  their  old  ones  until  they  were  tired.  She 
promised,  that,  if  they  would  have  their  lessons 
well  learned  that  day,  she  would  find  something 
for  them  in  their  father's  library. 

On  going,  however,  to  the  study,  she  could 
find  nothing  new  but  two  little  Greek  Introduc- 
tions. They  were  profusely  illustrated  after 
the  "New-England  Primer"  style,  each  letter 
of  the  alphabet  having  an  object  underneath  it, 
the  name  of  which  began  with  the  same  letter, 
as  A  for  alomiE,  B  for  l^(^8iov.  These  books 
she  carried  to  the  children  as  a  great  prize. 
The  new  names  for  these  familiar  creatures 
were  repeated  to  them,  to  their  great  delight ; 
and,  at  the  end  of  half  an  hour,  though  they 
had  not  seen  a  quarter  of  the  pictures,  the 
books  were  solemnly  closed,  and  taken  away, 
with  the  promise,  '*  If  you  have  perfect  lessons 
to-morrow,  you  can  have  these  beautiful  books 
for  half  an  hour  again." 


122  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

Never  were  lessons  better  learned  or  more 
perfectly  recited  ;  and,  for  another  half-hour, 
they  revelled  in  the  queer  words  and  quaint  pic- 
tures. Day  after  day  did  this  little  farce  go  on. 
They  soon  learned  to  read  and  translate  the 
easy  sentences  ;  and  they  thought  that  of  all 
games  their  ingenious  mother  had  ever  in- 
vented, this  was  the  most  delightful.  They 
could  repeat  the  Lord's  Prayer  and  Ten  Com- 
mandments as  readily  in  Greek  as  in  English. 

One  day  their  mother  said,  "  Children,  don't 
you  think  it  is  time  for  you  to  take  up  the  Greek 
grammar  ?  "  Brainerd  burst  into  tears,  and  said, 
"  You  don't  think  I'm  old  enough  to  study 
Greek  ;  do  you,  mother  ?  " 

"  Why,  my  son,"  what  have  you  been  doing 
for  these  last  months  ?  " 

*•  Why,  I  thought  I  was  playing.  I  did  not 
know  I  was  studying  Greek." 

When  he  found  how  he  had  been  thus  inno- 
cently betrayed  into  studying  Greek,  he  revolted 
and  said,  ''Well,  I  won't  be  fooled  into  Latin 
in  that  way.  I  won't  begin  that  till  I'm  ten 
years  old." 

In  1855  Mr.  Vinton  parted  with  his  two  chil- 
dren, and  sent  them  to  America  to  complete 
their  education.     This  seemed  to  be  the  sorest 


PARTING  FROM  THE  CHILDREN.      1 23 

trial  which  had  yet  befallen  him.  Mrs.  Vinton 
had  kept  them  with  her  in  that  unhealthy  cli- 
mate longer  than  was  commonly  deemed  pru- 
dent, because  she  feared  that  one  or  both  par- 
ents might  die  during  their  absence  at  school ; 
and  she  wished  them  to  remain  until  they  had 
received  the  impress  of  their  father's  strong 
mind  and  devoted  character,  and  until  the 
memory  of  both  father  and  mother  might  be- 
come clear  and  distinct,  in  case  parents  and 
children  should  not  meet  again. 

It  was  wisely  done  ;  for  Brainerd  and  Calista 
never  saw  their  father's  face  after  the  day,  when, 
kneeling  with  them  in  their  state-room  on  the 
'*  Fire  Queen,"  he  commended  them,  with  sobs 
and  broken  utterances,  to  the  care  of  a  cove- 
nant-keeping God. 

Nothing  but  loyalty  to  Christ  led  to  such  a 
sacrifice  as  this.  In  a  letter  written  to  her  chil- 
dren, Mrs.  Vinton  says,  — 

"  More  than  a  hundred  times  have  I  asked  myself  the 
question,  'Have  I  done  right?  Is  it  for  the  best?' 
Your  father  and  I  have  made  it  a  subject  for  prayer  for 
years ;  and  we  felt  convinced,  that,  should  we  keep  you 
here,  we  should  be  sacrificing  your  future  good  and 
future  usefulness  to  our  own  selfish  feelings.  But  my 
heart  cries  out  fo;"  yoii,  my  children,  and  I  sometimes 


124  'J^"E   VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

think,  '  Why  should  I  have  to  commit  them  to  the  care 
and  training  of  others,  when  both,  Cahsta  especially,  need 
a  mother's  love  and  guidance  ?  ' 

"  But  my  duty  to  these  dear  Karens,  my  duty  to  the 
heathen,  my  duty  to  Christ,  all  demand  it ;  and  that  is 
enough.  All  I  can  do  now  is  to  lay  you  on  the  kind  bosom 
of  our  dear  Saviour  by  constant  prayer.  Oh  !  what  should 
I  do  in  this  hour  of  trial,  if  I  could  not  look  up  and  say, 
'  Lord  Jesus,  I  have  done  this  for  thee  and  for  thy  cause. 
Take  the  dear  ones  into  thy  special  care.  Raise  them 
up  kind  friends,  to  do  more  and  better  for  them  than  we 
could  have  done  '  ? 

"It  is  my  daily  prayer  that  this  trial  may  be  sancti- 
fied to  each  one  of  us,  and  that  we,  as  a  family,  may  be 
more  pious,  more  devoted,  than  ever. 

"  Should  the  Lord  permit  you  to  reach  America,  com- 
plete your  education,  and  then  bring  you  both  back  as 
missionaries  of  the  Cross,  how  happy  should  we  be  !  I 
should  feel  like  saying,  '  Now  lettest  Thou  thy  servant 
depart  in  peace  ;  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation.' 
We  are  all  in  his  hands,  either  to  live  or  die,  as  is  for  his 
glory." 

How  fully  were  her  prayers  answered  in 
every  respect !  God  raised  up  friends  and 
guardians  for  her  children  ;  and  the  judicious 
training  and  tender  parental  care  which  Calista 
received  in  the  home  of  Rev.  D.  Ives,  D.D.,  of 
Suffield,  and  his  devoted  wife,  left  nothing  to  be 
desired  by  the  most  anxious  of  mothers.  It 
was  rio  slight  privilege  to  spend  three  years  in 


LETTERS  TO  THE  CHILDREN.       12$ 

such  a  Christian  home  as  that,  —  to  be  under  the 
moulding  and  elevating  influence  of  a  man  who 
walked  with  God  as  did  Dr.  Ives;  and  Mrs. 
Vinton  often  expressed  her  thankfulness  to  God 
for  permitting  her  daughter  to  enjoy  such  rare 
opportunities  for  the  development  of  a  high 
Christian  character. 

In  Deacon  and  Mrs.  Pierce  of  Hamilton, 
N.Y.,  Brainerd  also  found  those  who  did  all 
that  was  possible  to  supply  the  place  of  father 
and  mother.  The  Lord  took  care  that  while 
the  parents  were  sacrificing  so  much  for  him  in 
heathen  lands,  the  children  lacked  for  no  good 
thing. 

In  the  midst  of  more  abundant  labors  than 
ever,  Mrs.  Vinton  found  time  to  write  often  to 
her  children ;  and  these  letters  are  filled  with 
earnest  exhortations  to  greater  consecration  and 
deeper  piety,  and  also  with  accounts  of  her 
work.     In  one  letter  she  says,  — 

"  It  is  now  six  weeks  since  we  locked  up  our  house, 
and  have  been  wandering  in  the  jungle,  not  stopping  at 
any  place  more  than  three  days  ;  at  some  villages  only 
one,  and  at  others  only  a  few  hours.  Travelling  by  day 
in  a  tropical  sun,  and  in  the  damp  chilling  airs  by  night, 
midst  dense  jungle  and  tall  cane-brakes,  with  the  long 
wet  grass  rubbing  against  our  faces  and  cutting  them 


126  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

like  sawteeth,  —  travelling  sometimes  on  foot,  sometimes 
on  ponies,  sometimes  in  buffalo-carts,  sometimes  in  na- 
tive canoes  so  small  that  we  dare  not  laugh  lest  we  up- 
set them,  or  think  a  big  thought  lest  we  sink  them,  sit- 
ting up  till  late  at  night  talking  to  the  multitudes  who 
throng  us,  and  then  rising  at  two  or  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning  for  a  fresh  start  before  the  sun  rises, —  this  has 
been  our  mode  of  life  for  the  past  six  weeks. 

"  But  our  hearts  have  been  filled  with  one  constant 
hymn  of  praise,  as  we  see  the  readiness  of  the  heathen 
to  listen  to  us,  and  the  deep  affection  which  the  dear  dis- 
ciples manifest  for  us.  I  sometimes  wish  I  could  know 
that  they  love  God  as  well  as  they  do  us.  We  are  liter- 
ally loaded  with  presents.  It  is  amusing  to  see  the 
quantities  of  fowls,  eggs,  ducks,  rice,  and  milk,  which 
they  bring  in.  At  some  villages  they  kill  pigs  for  us ; 
and  at  one  place  I  overheard  the  order  given  to  kill  a 
buffalo,  but  I  forbade  it.  I  told  them  to  keep  their  buf- 
falo to  plough  their  fields  and  draw  their  cart.  We 
could  not  cat  the  half  they  brought  us,  rnd  sent  what  we 
did  not  need  to  the  school  in  the  city. 

''  Wc  have  penetrated  into  some  dark  regions  this 
year.  You  remember  how  last  season  the  heathen  ran 
away  from  us  at  Mawloo ;  biit  had  you  been  with  me  last 
Thursday,  you  would  have  seen  a  still  more  ridiculous 
sight.  I  rode  over  from  Pa-rah's  village  on  horseback ; 
and  to  see  a  woman  riding,  and  a  white  woman  too,, 
brought  out  the  whole  village,  yet  when  I  arrived  they 
would  not  venture  up  into  the  house. 

"  I  sat  down  where  they  could  not  see  me  unless  they 
came  up.  They  then  ventured  to  the  top  of  the  notched 
stick  of  timber  which  led  up  into  the  house,  and  stood 


VISIT    TO    MAWLOO.  12/ 

gazing  at  me.  I  spoke  kindly,  and  said,  '  Come  and  sit 
down,  my  sisters  ; '  but  they  preferred  to  keep  their  feet 
ready  for  a  sudden  retreat.  As  there  was  a  great  multi- 
tude still  standing  on  the  ground,  who  could  not  get  up 
to  see  me,  I  rose,  and  went  into  an  inner  room,  and  sat 
down  at  the  farther  end,  and  gathered  my  little  troup  of 
boys  and  girls  who  had  followed  me  from  the  other 
village, 

"  Taking  out  our  hymn-books,  we  began  to  sing.  This 
brought  up  scores  of  them ;  and  I  continued  to  sing,  not 
raising  my  eyes  from  my  book  till  the  room  was  more 
than  half  full  of  women  and  children.  At  last  I  thought 
that  it  would  do  to  speak  to  them.  So,  as  I  was  sitting 
on  a  low  stool,  I  took  it  up  gently,  and  moved  smilingly 
toward  them;  but,  before  I  had  taken  two  steps,  they 
shrieked,  and  ran  like  a  flock  of  sheep  with  a  wolf  at  their 
heels.  I  sat  down,  and  laughed  outright  at  them,  and 
succeeded  in  stopping  a  few,  with  whom  I  talked  until 
the  head  man  and  his  secretary  and  their  wives  came  to 
see  me ;  and  then  all  fear  seemed  to  vanish,  except  that 
some  of  the  mothers  feared  that  the  'kalah,'  or  spirit, 
would  leave  their  children  in  consequence  of  seeing  me, 
and  went  off  muttering  '  Pruh  kalah  !  pruh  kalah  !  kalah 
k'hah,'  which  is  a  prayer  to  the  Nats. 

"  Your  father  has  placed  Maw-yah-poh  and  his  wife 
there,  and  we  expect  a  church  will  be  formed  before  next 
year.  Even  here,  at  this  heathen  village,  more  than  a 
dozen  have  brought  in  money  for  Frank's  Chapel ;  saying 
they  see  us  so  hard  at  work  for  the  Karens  that  they 
wish  to  help  us.  We  hope  that  some  seven  or  eight  vil- 
lages where  we  have  been  will  receive  the  gospel. 
Wherever  we  go,  even  among  the  heathen,  we  are  treated 


128  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

with  the  utmost  kindness.  They  frequently  speak  of 
our  having  saved  their  lives  during  the  famine.  Truly 
that  was  the  best  investment  we  ever  made :  the  bread 
then  cast  upon  the  waters  is  now  returning. 

"  You  must  always  keep  in  mind  that  you  are  the 
children  of  missionaries,  and  that  if  you  are  careless  of 
your  demeanor,  or  do  any  thing  wrong,  it  will  be  a  dis- 
grace to  the  dear  cause." 

This  latter  injunction  had  been  so  often 
repeated,  that  the  sense  of  the  responsibility 
rested  on  the  children's  minds,  perhaps  even 
more  hea^vily  than  the  parents  intended. 

Calista,  chen  a  girl  of  fifteen,  says  that  while 
at  school,  and  during  her  vacations,  she  felt  as 
if  the  whole  credit  of  the  cause  of  Foreign 
Missions  rested  upon  her  shoulders,  and  that 
any  inconsistency  in  her  conduct,  either  as  a 
school-girl  or  as  a  Christian,  would  bring  hope- 
less disgrace  on  the  cause  which  was  so  dear 
to  her  parents. 

Again  Mrs.  Vinton  writes,  — 

"  The  Lord  is  providing  for  all  our  wants.  Had  any 
one  told  me  twenty  years  ago  that  a  boy  then  in  my  school 
would  send  me  a  bag  of  eight  hundred  rupees,  and  prom- 
ise two  hundred  more  soon,  I  would  not  have  believed  it. 
Lewis  Raymond  feels  that  God  has  called  him  to  preach; 
and  he  is  going  to  give  up  his  lucrative  situation  under 
Government,  and  complete  his  study  of  theology,  and 
then  go  to  his  great  work. 


TRAINING   NATIVE    HELPERS.  1 29 

"  He  has  hitherto  contented  himself  with  paying  the 
expenses  of  another  to  preach  in  his  stead,  but  it  does 
not  satisfy  him  ;  and  now  he  must  go  himself.  Dr.  Bal- 
four has  just  sent  two  hundred  and  twenty  rupees  more 
for  the  school. 

"  His  father  is  a  clergyman  in  Scotland  ;  and  he  sends 
all  the  letters  which  I  write  to  him,  to  his  father.  He 
allowed  a  friend  to  read  my  last  letter,  and  he  sent  twenty 
rupees  for  the  privilege  of  reading  it.  Chah  too,  my  old 
cook,  is  married,  and  has  gone  to  preaching.  .  .  .  You 
know  how  anxious  I  felt  for  the  conversion  of  our  syce 
(the  man  who  takes  care  of  the  pony),  and  how  much 
we  have  prayed  that  he  might  be  a  Pwo  preacher.  I 
do  trust  that  our  hopes  are  about  to  be  realized.  He  has 
spent  all  his  spare  time  in  studying ;  and  last  evening 
brother  Brayton  asked  me  if  I  would  allow  him  to  go  to 
Kemmendine  on  a  preaching  excursion  with  him.  I  said 
'  Yes  !  with  all  my  heart.  It  is  our  great  desire  that  the 
Lord  may  call  him  away  from  the  stable,  and  set  him  to 
preaching.'  He  is  the  best  syce  we  ever  had  ;  and,  in  all 
the  three  years  he  has  been  with  us,  I  have  never  had 
occasion  to  reprove  him  once  ;  but  I  will  gladly  give  him 
up  to  the  work  of  preaching,  and  take  another  raw  lad  to 
train  in  his  place. 

"  Last  evening  Nau  Oo-thah  lingered  around  after 
all  the  rest  had  retired,  and  finally  said,  '  I  love  to  be 
with  you,  mamma,  very  much  ;  but  I  hear  there  is  a  great 
village  near  Parah's  place  where  they  do  not  worship 
God,  but  where  they  say  they  will  have  a  school ;  and  I 
want  to  go  and  teach  it,  if  mamma  is  willing.  I  told  her 
that  it  was  the  greatest  joy  of  my  heart  to  train  boys  and 
girls  for  the  service  of  God,  and  that,  although  she  was 


130  THE    VINTONS    AND    TII^    KARENS. 

my  right-hand  girl  and  a  great  help  to  me,  yet  if  the 
Lord  had  called  her,  as  he  had  done  rir.n  Nai-nau  and 
Nau  Poll,  I  would  release  her  at  once,  and  put  Nau  Mce 
tha  in  her  place,  till  she  was  trained  and  qualiiied  to 
go  and  serve  God  too. 

'•  Many  ask  me  how  it  is  that  I  am  always  training 
raw  Karens,  and,  as  soon  as  they  begin  to  be  useful  to 
me,  let  them  go  from  me.  It  is  trying,  especially  when 
for  weeks  together  we  have  unsavory  and  half-cooked 
disJies,  prepared  by  a  new  hand  in  the  cook-house  ;  but 
it  is  a  part  of  my  missionary  work.  No  one  is  so  blest 
in  their  help  as  I  am.  My  girls  and  boys  serve  me,  not 
for  money,  but  to  improve  themselves  and  prepare  for 
future  usefulness  ;  and  I  trust  that  many  of  them  will 
preach  and  teach  when  I  am  dead  and  gone. 

"  Major  Simpson  has  sailed  for  England  ;  and,  about 
a  week  after,  Capt.  Brander  sent  us  one  hundred  and 
fifty  rupees,  with  a  note  from  Major  Simpson,  saying  it 
was  for  our  own  personal  expenses.  Since  that  we  have 
learned  that  he  has  sent  all  his  furniture  to  be  sold  at 
auction,  with  the  order  that  the  avails  are  to  be  given  to 
our  school.  This  will  realize  some  two  hundred  rupees 
more  at  least. 

"  Yesterday  Capt.  Seymour  sent  thirty  rupees  over 
and  above  what  he  has  given  lately  for  the  mission,  say- 
ing, •  This  is  for  your  owft  use.'     It  is  quite  opportune  ; 

for  sister has  been  with  us  for  a  fortnight,  so  ill  that 

she  was  not  expected  to  recover,  and  we  have  had  to 
watch  her,  and  fan  her  night  and  day,  to  keep  the  breath 
of  life  in  her. 

"  I  have  looked  forward  to  this  vacation,  hoping  that 
I  could  rest  a  little ;  for  I  was  feeling  quite  worn  out  with 


A    HAPPY    LIFE.  13! 

my  school-work  through  the  rains,  and  this  is  the  vaca- 
tion that  the  Lord  has  sent  me.  But  we  are  happy  still; 
for  it  is  all  the  Lord's  work,  and  he  sends  it  to  us  to  do." 

Seldom  do  we  see  workers  who  rejoiced  more 
in  doing  the  will  of  Him  who  had  sent  them 
than  these  two. 

An  English  lady  writes  to  a  friend  :  — 

"  The  Vintons  are  the  happiest  family  I  ever  met. 
They  were  happy  after  theii:  beloved  sister  Miranda  left ; 
they  are  happy  now,  though  their  children  are  far  away ; 
they  are  happy  through  trial  and  suffering ;  they  are 
always  happy  in  their  work." 


132  THE   VINTONS   AND    THE   KARENS. 


CHAPTER   X. 

**  Yes,  o'er  me,  o'er  me,  he  watcheth, 
Ceaseless  watcheth,  night  and  day : 
Yes,  even  me,  even  me,  he  snatcheth 
From  the  perils  of  the  way. 

**  Thus  I  wait  for  his  returning. 
Singing  all  the  way  to  heaven ; 
Such  the  joyful  song  of  morning, 
Such  the  tranquil  song  of  even." 

It  has  been  said  that  no  lady  missionary 
ever  travelled  as  extensively  as  Mrs.  Vinton. 
Whether  this  is  so  or  not,  she  had  many  varied 
experiences,  and  had  an  opportunity  during  the 
thirty  years  of  her  missionary  life  to  try  almost 
every  mode  of  conveyance,  from  the  elegant 
barouche  of  an  English  friend,  to  being  carried 
over  a  nullah  in  the  arms  of  two  natives,  or 
being  jolted  nearly  into  fragments  in  a  spring- 
less  native  cart,  drawn  by  a  pair  of  runaway 
buffaloes. 

We  give  one  experience  out  of  many :  — 

"  When  we  came  down  to  the  river  again  yesterday 


TRAVELLING    BY    CART.  1 33 

only  one  yoke  of  buffaloes  could  be  found ;  and  they 
were  so  wild,  that  they  would  not  come  near  the  chapel. 

"  They  were  harnessed  to  a  cart,  and  blindfolded,  while 
I  tried  to  get  into  the  cart ;  but  the  moment  I  came  near 
they  threw  their  noses  up  into  the  air,  and  snorted, 
kicked,  and  plunged,  so  that  they  had  to  be  taken  out. 
I  then  got  into  the  cart,  lay  down,  and  covered  myself 
up  entirely  from  sight ;  but  now  the  buffaloes  would  not 
come  anywhere  near  it,  so  I  walked  on  to  the  next 
village. 

"  Here  we  found  some  people  loading  carts  with  rice 
to  take  to  the  river  to  sell.  They  asked  me  to  go  with 
them ;  but  there  was  no  place  for  me  to  ride,  save  on  the 
tongue  of  the  cart,  right  between  the  buffaloes.  They 
put  in  a  footstool ;  and  I  carefully  crept  over  the  paddy 
(unhulled  rice),  and  seated  myself  on  my  precarious  seat, 
not  daring  to  raise  an  umbrella  all  the  way  to  screen  me 
from  the  burning  sun  for  fear  of  frightening  the  buffa- 
loes. As  I  rode  along,  having  no  little  daughter  to  be- 
guile the  weary  time  with  her  chatter,  I  was  left  to  my 
own  reflections.  First,  I  recollected  the  missionary  ad- 
dress I  heard  in  Cincinnati,  in  which  the  speaker  tried 
to  prove  that  modern  missions  ought  to  be  far  more 
successful  than  ancient  missions,  because  'of  the  mod- 
ern facilities  for  travel  by  steamers  and  railways,  and 
sending  gospel  messages  by  telegraph.' 

"Oh!  thought  I,  how  I  wish  Mr.  B.  could  come 
here  and  try  it  one  dry  season,  and  look  upon  the  hea- 
then world  as  it  is,  not  as  Christianity  has  made  the 
civilized  world.  Again,  I  thought  of  the  great  congre- 
gations in  America,  who  in  their  gorgeous  churches 
sit  and  sing,  — 


134  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

*  Waft,  waft,  ye  winds,  his  story, 
And  you,  ye  waters,  roll ; ' 

and  I  exclaimed,  'How  different  to  us,  poor  matter-of-fact 
people,  who  go  to  carry  the  gospel  on  our  tongues,  is 
the  work,  from  what  it  seems  to  those  who  commission 
the  winds  and  the  waves  to  do  their  duty.' 

"  The  easterly  winds  that  are  now  sweeping  through 
these  jungles,  drying,  yea,  scorching  up  every  thing  in 
their  course,  do  not  in  the  least  help  us,  but  give  us  a 
fever  for  six  hours  in  the  day. 

"As  for  the  waters,  they  only  aid  us  when  compelled 
so  to  do  by  the  sturdy  sinews  df  eight  resolute  oarsmen. 
The  gospel  will  doubtless  introduce  railroads,  steam- 
boats, and  telegraphs,  but  not  till  many  more  mission- 
aries have  first  wandered,  with  tired  limbs  and  dusty 
clothes,  through  rice-fields  and  jungles,  from  village  to 
village,  waking  up  intellect,  and  the  love  and  fear  of 
God,  in  these  wild  ignorant  people. 

"  By  the  time  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  has  taken 
such  deep  root  that  foreign  aid  or  missionaries  will  not 
be  needed,  it  will  do  for  Christians  to  sit  and  sing 

'Waft,  waft,  ye  winds,  his  story,' 

and  to  blame  missionaries  because  they  are  not  more 
successful  than  Paul,  who  had  no  railroad  to  travel  on,  or 
Peter,  who  had  no  electric  telegraph  by  which  to  send 
his  gospel  messages.  For  the  present  we  must  content 
ourselves  to  sit  cramped  up  in  our  little  canoes,  thread- 
ins:  these  noble  rivers  and  winding:  nullahs  even  to  their 
very  sources,  or  to  be  shaken  to  a  jelly  in  these  spring- 
less  buffalo-carts,  or,  what  is  preferable  to  those  who 
have  the  strength,  go  on  foot." 


AN    ELEPHANT  S    SAGACITY.  1 35 

Mr.  Vinton,  on  his  inland  tours,  rode  an  ele- 
phant or  a  horse.  He  had  a  sturdy  little  pony, 
trained  to  follow  the  path  without  any  guidance ; 
and  he  was  accustomed  to  do  much  of  his 
studying  while  in  the  saddle. 

This  method  had  its  disadvantages,  for  it  was 
liable  to  sudden  interruptions.  On  more  than 
one  occasion,  while  passing  through  the  dense 
jungle,  a  low  hanging  creeper  or  trailing  vine 
caught  him,  while  the  pony  passed  on,  leaving 
the  astonished  rider  lying  on  his  back  in  the 
jungle-path,  wondering  what  had  happened. 

When  travelling  by  elephant,  the  sagacious 
brute  would  clear  the  path  of  all  overhanging 
boughs,  and  the  reader  could  pursue  his  studies 
uninterrupted.  Yet,  on  one  occasion,  the  ele- 
phant put  a  sudden  stop  to  a  lesson  in  the 
Greek  Testament.  Mr.  Vinton  had  paused  at 
a  wayside  village  for  the  noontide  rest,  and  was 
sitting  reading  his  Testament  on  the  veranda 
of  a  native  house.  He  called  to  one  of  his 
attendants  to  bring  him  some  water.  His  ele- 
phant, standing  near,  heard  the  order,  gravely 
stalked  off  to  the  village  tank,  and,  seizing  a 
basin,  filled  it  with  water ;  and,  coming  back, 
poured  it  upon  Mr.  Vinton's  head,  while  he  sat 
absorbed  in  his  studies  ! 


136  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

Sometimes  he  travelled  on  foot,  accompanied 
by  his  little  band  of  helpers  ;  threading  the 
forests,  climbing  the  mountains,  exposed  to 
wild  beasts  by  night  and  the  scorching  sun  by 
day,  and  yet  counting  it  all  joy  that  he  might 
be  permitted  to  preach  the  unsearchable  riches 
of  Christ. 

Mrs.  Vinton  gives  some  interesting  details  in 
a  letter  to  the  children  :  — 

"We  arrived  at  this  village  a  few  days  ago.  Since 
then,  your  clear  father  has  gone  away  to  the  mountains, 
—  to  a  region  where  a  white  man  has  never  trod,  and 
where  the  blessed  gospel  of  the  Son  of  God  has  never 
yet  been  preached.  The  Christians  here  feel  very 
anxious  about  him ;  and  all  pray  for  him  daily,  that  he 
may  be  kept  from  the  dreadful  jungle-fever  so  prevalent 
there. 

"  Had  he  gone  for  any  other  purpose  than  to  carry  the 
gospel,  I  should  feel  anxious  ;  but  he  is  in  the  Lord's 
hands.  He  has  gone  on  foot  through  a  pathless  jungle, 
and  has  taken  with  him  young  men,  to  place  as  school- 
teachers and  preachers  if  he  finds  people  disposed  to 
receive  them.  We  are  very  much  encouraged  by  the 
reports  which  come  in  from  the  villages.  Mau  Yay  re- 
ports having  baptized  fifty-four  lately;  and  a  number  are 
awaiting  the  ordinance  at  Gna-dee's  village.  We  have 
been  spending  a  day  in  fasting  and  prayer  for  the  out- 
pouring of  God's  Spirit  on  his  work.  We  are  asking 
God  for  a  shower  of  divine  grace,  which  shall  bring  all 
these  surrounding  districts  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 


ENGLISH    CONTRIBUTORS.  1 3/ 

We  are  looking  for,  and  expecting,  greater  and  greater 
things. 

"  God  has  accompanied  this  work  from  the  first  with 
special  marks  of  his  divine  favor,  and  has  sent  us  such 
great  and  precious  blessings,  that  we  have  covenanted 
with  him  that  we  will  not  complain  of  any  affliction  or 
trial,  if  he  will  only  be  with  us,  blessing  our  labors,  and 
making  us  the  instruments  of  bringing  thousands  and 
thousands  to  righteousness. 

"  How  I  wish,  dear  children,  th?,t  you  could  hear  the 
Christian  Karens  pray  for  you !  Thej^  are  daily  asking 
God  to  spare  your  lives,  and  bring  you  back  to  this 
country  to  be  their  teachers.  It  is  their  great  fear  lest 
the  luxuries  and  comfort  of  America  may  so  charm  you 
that  you  will  not  want  to  return  to  the  hard  work  and 
privations  of  our  life  here ;  and  hundreds  of  prayers  are 
going  up  daily  for  you.  How  holy  and  devoted  you 
ought  to  be  !  for  you  are  the  children  of  many  prayers. 
Your  father  and  I  have  recently  been  trying  to  lay  you 
again  upon  the  altar  of  God,  and  dedicate  you  anew  to 
his  service.  If  you  live,  you  are  the  Lord's.  If  you  die, 
you  are  still  the  Lord's.  Do  try  to  give  yourselves 
wholly  unto  him." 

In  another  letter  she  speaks  of  the  receipt  of 
"I20  Rs.  from  Major  Burton,  lOO  Rs.  from 
Major  Hawkins,  80  Rs.  from  Lieut.  Moxon,  for 
the  mission  work,  besides  669  rupees  from 
Gen.  Russell,  for  Frank's  Chapel,  in  addition  to 
200  Rs.  given  a  short  time  previous  ;  also  50  Rs. 
from  the  venerable  Bishop  Wilson  of  Calcutta." 
She  adds,  — 


138  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

"You  will  laugh  to  know  that  100  Rs.  has  just  come 
in  from  Shway  Gan,  Capt.  Sparks's  head  man.  He  once 
said  that  he  feared  no  man  on  earth  but  Mr.  Vinton,  and 
that  he  feared  him  more  than  he  did  the  Devil.  Nothing 
but  the  Lord's  grace  could  have  opened  his  wicked  heart 
to  have  given  thus  much  for  the  chapel. 

"  All  of  Mr.  Williams's  surveyors  gave  more  than  one- 
eighth  of  their  wages  for  the  season,  for  the  chapel ;  so 
we  feel  encouraged  to  go  on  with  the  school  of  nearly 
two  hundred  pupils,  feeling  sure  that  if  the  Lord  can 
levy  tribute  upon  such  a  man  as  Shway  Gan,  he  can 
do  it  upon  others." 

A  touching,  yet  amusing  incident  occurred 
about  this  time,  which  we  will  give  in  Mrs.  Vin- 
ton's own  graphic  words  :  — 

"  I  must  tell  you  about  our  carriage !  Some  of  the 
Maulmain  Karens,  who  were  once  boys  in  our  school, 
and  who  were  baptized  by  Mr.  Vinton,  came  around  here 
with  sixty  or  seventy  elephants  to  work  in  the  Teak  for- 
ests. The  Government,  wishing  to  purchase  elephants  for 
service  in  putting  down  the  mutiny  in  Bengal,  requested 
us  to  call  on  the  Karens.  We  did  so  ;  and  they  have 
sold  over  fifty  elephants  to  Government  at  a  handsome 
price,  over  six  hundred  rupees  per  head.  They  said  they 
wished  to  give  some  of  the  profits  to  the  Lord,  and  some 
to  us,  their  old  teachers. 

"  They  first  put  down  fourteen  hundred  I'upees  for  the 
mission,  and  then  said  they  wanted  to  do  something  for  us 
personally.  They  said  we  had  now  been  laboring  for  the 
Karens  twenty-three  years,  and  had  never  owned  a  car- 


THE    CARRIAGE.  1 39 

riage  ;  so  they  went  to  Mr.  Shafraz's,  and  partly  engaged 
one  for  650  Rs.,  and  paid  6  Rs.  as  earnest-money.  Mr. 
Craig  hearing  of  it  said,  that  though  it  was  a  good  one, 
yet  Gen.  Bell  had  one  for  sale,  equally  good  and  strong, 
and  that  he  would  send  his  butler,  Ramsawmy,  with  Mr. 
Vinton,  to  look  at  it. 

"  He  did  so  ;  and  Mr.  Vinton,  while  telling  the  dear, 
good  general  how  grateful  it  was  to  him  to  see  such  a 
manifestation  of  feeling  upon  the  part  of  his  Maulmain 
children,  added,  '  I  will  take  the  carriage  to  please  them, 
but  will  credit  it  to  the  mission.  For  no  one  shall  pre- 
vent me  from  glorying  that  I  have  preached  a  free  gos- 
pel; and  I  will  still  show  them  that  I  sought  not  theirs, 
but  them.' 

"  The  general  said,  ^Then  you  cannot,  conscientiously, 
receive  a  present  from  your  people  without  crediting  it  to 
the  mission  .-* ' 

"  Mr.  Vinton  said  '  No.' 

"  Well,  then,'  said  the  general,  *  have  you  any  scruples 
about  receiving  a  gift  from  me  ?  ' 

"  Mr.  Vinton  was  nonplussed,  but  answered  '  No.' 

"  '  Then,'  said  the  general,  '  I  present  you  with  the  car- 
riage.' 

"  The  Karens  went  over,  and  drew  it  back  to  our 
house  with  great  delight.  It  is  a  very  strong  and  hand- 
some carriage,  and  will  be  a  great  comfort  to  us.  But 
what  pleases  us  the  most,  is  to  see  how  glad  every  one  is 
for  us  to  have  it. 

"  Ramsawmy  ran  every  step  of  the  way  back  to  Mr. 
Craig's  ;  and,  when  he  told  them  about  it,  they  clapped 
their  hands  for  joy,  and  cried,  '  Good,  good  ! ' 

"  '  Ramsawmy  said  he  hoped  the  general  would  give 


140  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

the  carriage ;  but,  if  he  had  not  given  it,  he  himself  in' 
tended  to  have  given  a  part  of  it.^  Thus  you  see  God  is 
still  raising  up  friends,  both  native  and  European,  to 
minister  to  our  wants.  Ought  we  not  to  be  good  and 
faithful .? 

"  One  of  the  principal  owners  of  the  elephants  was 
Nya  Pee,  Myah  A's  brother,  who  was  born  soon  after 
we  arrived  in  the  country.  They  expect  to  give  the 
mission  another  thousand  rupees  before  they  return  to 
Maulmain.  How  gladly  would  we  again  go  around  to 
Maulmain,  visit  those  dear  churches,  and  labor  for  their 
spiritual  interests,  should  the  Lord  open  the  door !  Per- 
haps when  you  come  back.  He  will  do  so  ;  and  Brainerd 
may  yet  preach  to  those  who,  in  that  terrible  sickness, 
when  he  was  a  babe,  so  earnestly  prayed  for  his  life.  .  .  . 
Our  examination  is  over.  I  was  nearly  sick  for  a  week 
before  it  commenced ;  but  special  strength  seemed  given 
me,  so  that  I  was  enabled  to  go  through  with  the  exami- 
nation of  all  the  different  classes. 

"  Gen.  and  Mrs.  Bell  were  there  ;  Major  and  Mrs. 
Burton,  Major  and  Mrs.  Lys,  Major  and  Mrs.  Magoun, 
Capt.  and  Mrs.  O'Connell,  Capt.  and  Mrs.  Power,  and 
many  others.  The  school  acquitted  itself  so  well  that  an 
officer  present  said,  '  This  is  the  finest  sight  in  all  Bur- 
mah.' 

"Dear,  good  Mr.  Craig  was  there  of  course.  He  has 
lately  given  us  two  hundred  rupees,  to  be  sent  to  America 
to  be  divided  between  you  two.  Another  donation  for 
the  mission,  of  over  two  hundred  rupees,  comes  unex- 
pectedly from  Secunderabad,  through  Major  MacFarlane. 
How  can  we  ever  indulge  in  doubt,  or  fear  that  all  neces- 
sary means  for  carrying  on  this  great  work  will  not  be 


TRIALS    OF    FAITH.  I4I 

forthcoming,  even  though  we  do  not  know  from  day  to 
day  how  or  whence  our  wants  are  to  be  supplied  ? 

"  I  must  tell  you  one  out  of  a  hundred  similar  in- 
stances of  a  Father's  tender  care  for  our  wants.  One 
Saturday  Mr.  Vinton  returned  after  a  long  jungle  tour. 
It  was  the  close  of  the  month,  and  his  coolies  were  ex- 
pecting their  wages.  We  had  not  a  rupee  in  the  house, 
and  a  large  school  looking  to  us  for  their  daily  food. 
For  a  moment  our  hearts  sank  within  us ;  and  we  said, 
*  What  shall  we,  what  can  we,  do  .'*  Here  are  the  coolies 
expecting  and  needing  their  pay,  here  is  this  large  school 
to  be  supported,  and  not  a  rupee  at  our  command  ! ' 
After  a  few  moments  of  prayer,  Mr.  Vinton's  faith  tri- 
umphed ;  and  he  said,  '  Have  the  children  nothing  to  eat 
for  the  sabbath  .? '  —  '  Oh,  yes  ! '  was  the  reply :  '  the  last 
rupee  was  paid  out  this  morning  to  obtain  supplies  for 
the  sabbath.' 

"  '  Very  well,  then,'  said  he,  *  I  am  relieved.  We  will 
wait,  and  see  what  God  will  do  for  us  then.' 

"  Early  on  Monday  morning  a  friend  put  a  roll  of 
forty  rupees  in  his  hands.  This  enabled  him  to  pay  off 
his  coolies,  and  buy  necessary  food,  both  for  the  school 
and  for  our  own  family. 

"  After  breakfast  he  called  on  a  friend  who  said,  '  Mr. 
Vinton,  I  have  a  bag  of  money  here  for  your  mission.' 
The  next  day  another  friend  sent  in  one  hundred  and  five 
rupees,  and  the  next  fifty  rupees ;  and  thus  God  put  it 
into  the  hearts  of  friends  to  send  us  relief  just  in  the 
time  of  need,  and  without  our  saying  one  word  to  them 
about  it.  God  has  so  manifestly  rebuked  our  unbelief, 
that  we  shall  be  doubly  guilty  in  the  future  not  to  trust 
his  providential  care." 


142  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

"  Footsore  and  worn  thou  art, 

Breathless  with  toil  and  fight : 
How  welcome  now  the  long-sought  sleep 
Of  this  all  tranquil  night ! 

"  Rest  for  the  toiling  hand, 

Rest  for  the  thought-worn  brow, 
Rest  for  the  weary,  way-sore  feet, 
Rest  from  all  labor  now." 

We  give  these  facts  just  as  they  occur  in  the 
scanty  memorials  which  are  still  left.  They 
are  collected  in  the  main  from  letters  which 
were  preserved  without  any  thought  of  their 
being  used  in  the  preparation  of  a  biography. 
One  cannot  read  these  letters  without  noticing 
the  generous  amounts  of  money,  which,  after 
the  separation  of  Mr.  Vinton  from  the  Mission- 
ary Union,  were  given  by  his  English  friends. 
We  find  in  the  Second  Annual  Report  of  the 
Rangoon  Karen  Mission,  published  in  October, 
1857,  the  large  sum  of  sixteen  thousand  and 
thirty-nine  rupees  credited  as  having  been  re- 


A    **  CRISIS.  143 

ceived  up  to  that  date  from  this  source  alone. 
From  the  Karens,  nine  thousand  two  hundred 
and  twenty-two  rupees  had  been  given  ;  and 
from  friends  in  America,  during  the  same  time, 
rupees  four  thousand  six  hundred  and  sixty-four. 

The  warm  attachments  formed  between  the 
Vintons  and  officers  of  the  Eno-lish  civil  and 
military  service  did  not  cease  when  these  latter 
were  ordered  to  England,  or  to  other  stations 
in  India.  The  son  and  daughter  still  receive 
letters  from  those,  who,  speaking  after  the 
manner  of  men,  twenty-five  years  ago  stood 
between  their  parents  and  utter  failure,  during 
that  ^^ crisis  ill  Brother  Vintons  affairs y'  which 
a  now  venerable  doctor  of  divinity  gleefully 
boasted  he  would  bring  about. 

The  prospect  for  ''Brother  Vinton,"  indeed, 
was  not  very  bright ;  but  God  brought  light  out 
of  darkness,  and  we  doubt  not  that,  in  that 
upper  and  better  world,  he  will  be  the  first  to 
greet  the  venerable  doctor,  and  to  assure  him 
that  he  builded  better  than  he  knew. 

Amid  all  these  encouragements,  however, 
the  glorious  success  of  the  work,  the  wealth  of 
hearty  friendship,  as  expressed  in  generous 
gifts,  and  the  prospect  of  largely  increased  use- 
fulness in  the  mission,  —  it  was  plainly  seen  by 


144  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

those  who  knew  him  best,  that  his  strength  was 
slowly  giving  way  under  the  strain  to  which  he 
had  been  subjected. 

Himself  the  very  soul  of  honor,  he  seemed 
utterly  confounded  and  unable  to  understand 
the  action  which  had  separated  him  from  the 
society,  which,  up  to  the  last  moment  of  his 
life,  he  loved  with  the  devotion  of  a  first  love. 
Indeed,  on  one  occasion,  when  he  would  have 
been  wholly  justified  in  obtaining  legal  redress 
for  a  pecuniary  wrong  done  him,  the  only  ex- 
pression which  can  be  discovered  is  one  of 
dazed  amazement  that  a  Christian  brother  could- 
be  guilty  of  such  a  thing. 

It  was  impossible  that  a  soul  so  sensitive 
and  so  tenacious  of  its  friendships  could  pass 
through  the  scenes  of  1854  and  1855,  and  the 
sundering  of  old  ties,  without  receiving  a  mor- 
tal wound. 

His  heart  was  slowly  breaking  under  the 
misconstructions  of  good  men,  —  men  whom  he 
never  ceased  to  love,  and  for  whom  he  contin- 
ued to  pray  until  the  last  day  of  his  life.  Yet 
all  this,  though  it  seemed  to  his  friends  so  hard 
to  understand,  was  the  process  through  which 
it  pleased  God  that  he  should  pass,  ere  there 
was  developed  in  him  that  entire  surrender  of 
will  which  he  so  much  desired. 


I 


THE  SHADOW  OF  THE  CLOUD.       I45 

For  months  before  he  died  he  was  so  evi- 
dently ripening  for  heaven  that  his  wife  said 
tremblingly,  *' Surely  he  is  not  long  for  this 
world."  For  nearly  twenty-five  years  she  had 
walked  by  his  side,  a  daily  witness  to  his  ten- 
der, Christ-like  spirit,  his  utter  devotion  to  the 
one  work  of  saving  souls,  and  the  steady 
growth  in  grace  which  marked  his  whole  life ; 
but  the  higher  life  to  which  he  attained  at  this 
time,  all  unconscious  of  it  himself,  made  her 
feel  that  indeed  his  prayers  had  been  heard, 
and  that  the  fiery  furnace  through  which  he  had 
been  passing  had  but  purified  the  gold,  and  that 
the  Master's  own  image  was  being  reflected  in 
the  molten,  quivering  metal.  To  others,  also, 
this  was  equally  apparent.  Mrs.  Beecher, 
speaking  of  the  last  association  which  he  at- 
tended in  the  Bassein  District,  said  that  she 
felt  borne  to  heaven  on  Mr.  Vinton's  prayers. 
Gen.  Bell  said  to  his  wife  one  day,  "  How 
rapidly  that  dear  man  of  God  seems  growing  in 
grace  lately." 

The  last  prayer-meeting  he  attended  was  at 
the  house  of  this  old  and  tried  friend,  who, 
commander-in-chief  of  all  the  English  forces 
in  British  Burmah,  was  at  the  same  time  a 
humble  Christian,  and   an   earnest   student   of 


146  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

God's  word.     An  English  lady  who  was  pres- 
ent at  this  meeting  says, — 

"We  can  never  forget  Mr.  Vinton's  words  that  night. 
He  seemed  to  have  had  a  glimpse  into  the  hidden  things 
of  God;  and  instead  of  going  on  with  the  study  of  the 
chapter,  as  we  were  in  the  habit  of  doing,  we  sat  spell- 
bound, listening  to  his  burning  words.  As  he  spoke  of 
the  bhss  of  heaven,  his  face  seemed  to  brighten  and 
glow  with  an  unearthly  light;  and,  as  we  knelt  with  him 
in  prayer,  w^e  felt  awed  by  the  way  in  which  he  seemed 
to  talk  with  God  face,  to  face.  How  little  we  thought, 
that,  in  one  short  week,  he  would  be  standing  in  the 
inner  sanctuary,  in  the  presence  of  his  risen  Lord ! " 

He  had  just  returned  from  his  last  journey 
when  he  attended  the  meeting  referred  to. 
News  had  come  from  the  mountains  west  of 
Shway  Gyeen,  that  scores  of  villages  were 
ready  to  receive  the  gospel.  The  region  was 
one  so  difficult  of  access  that  it  had  never  been 
reached  by  missionary  effort  ;  and  this  awaken- 
ing was  the  result  of  the  conversion  of  a 
few  young  men  who  had  heard  the  gospel  on 
the  plains,  and  had  gone  back  to  their  friends 
to  tell  the  story  they  had  heard.  Mr.  Vinton 
selected  six  young  men  who  were  ready  to  go 
into  that  unhealthy  region  in  order  to  proclaim 
the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ ;  but,  that 
they  should  be  properly  located,  it  was  neces- 


LAST   JOURNEY.  14/ 

sary  that  be  should  go  himself,  survey  the 
field,  and  select  the  most  available  points  for 
the  location  of  native  preachers.  Only  scanty 
records  have  come  down  to  us  from  this  jour- 
ney, though  in  after  years  it  bore  abundant 
fruits.  There  was  opportunity,  after  the  jour- 
ney began,  to  send  back  two  brief  letters,  and 
from  these  we  make  the  following  extracts  :  — 

"  From  Nau-toh's  to  Kyouk-pong,  I  walked  nearly  the 
whole  way,  as  the  pony's  back  was  sore.  I  stopped  at 
a  great  number  of  villages  on  the  way,  and  preached  my- 
self hoarse.  I  arrived  just  as  the  gong  was  about  to 
ring,  jaded  and  tired,  and  yet  preached  a  long  sermon. 
The  people  were  very  attentive.  A  cloud  is  gathering; 
and,  judging  from  my  feelings,  there  will  be  rain.  Oh, 
may  it  be  long  and  abundant !  Pray,  my  dear  wife,  not 
so  much  that  God  will  watch  over  me,  as  that  he  will  go 
with  me  by  his  Spirit;  for  without  that  I  might  as  well 
be  dead  as  alive. 

"  Oh  for  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  such  as  the 
apostles  had  to  prepare  them  for  their  great  work ! 

"  I  have  been  invariably  well,  and  mostly  happy,  since  I 
left.  But  for  this  'body  of  death,'  which  drags  down  my 
poor  soul,  and  makes  it  so  earthly  and  grovelling  in  its 
aspirations,  so  unlike  the  heavenly,  I  should  be  perfectly 
so.  I  have  had  some  precious  seasons,  in  which  the  spirit 
has  triumphed  over  the  flesh ;  and  I  have  been  brought 
into  goodly  fellowship  with  my  precious  Saviour,  and  I 
have  cared  for  nothing  in  the  world  but  to  be  a  herald 
of  mercy  to   the  perishing.     Pray,  dear  wife,  that  God 


148  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

may  strip  me  for  the  race,  and  harness  me  for  the  bat- 
tle. I  long  for  nothing  so  much  as  for  more  power  in 
prayer.  I  would  be  a  wrestling  Jacob,  and  a  prevailing 
Israel.  I  want  an  increase  of  power  to  preach  the  word 
in  the  demonstration  of  the  Spirit,  and  with  power." 

He  returned  to  Rangoon  on  the  24th  of 
March,  1858,  in  apparent  health,  complaining 
only  of  being  **  very  tired."  That  evening  he 
attended  the  Bible-reading  at  Gen.  Bell's,  to 
which  reference  has  been  made. 

The  next  day  it  appeared  that  he  was  ill,  but 
he  still  kept  about  the  work  which  had  accumu- 
lated during  his  absence.  On  Saturday  fever 
set  in  ;  and  Dr.  Dickinson,  his  faithful  physician 
for  many  years,  was  summoned.  No  one,  how- 
ever, anticipated  that  it  would  prove  to  be  more 
than  a  slight  attack  of  jungle  fever. 

He  talked  with  all  the  natives  who  came  in, 
and  transacted  the  necessary  business  connected 
with  the  mission  as  he  lay  on  his  bed,  ever 
cheerful,  rallying  his  wife  on  her  unceasing 
anxiety  about  him,  telling  her  how  good  every 
thing  tasted  that  she  brought  him,  and  laying 
many  a  plan  for  future  work  and  future  use- 
fulness. 

On  Monday  he  was  too  ill  to  see  any  one ; 
but    on    Tuesday   the   fever  left  him,  and   the 


MR.    VINTON  S    DEATH.  I49 

doctor  pronounced  him  out  of  danger.  Tues- 
day night  there  was  a  change.  The  doctor 
was  hastily  summoned.  It  was  evident  at 
once  to  him  that  the  disease  had  assumed  a 
grave  form.  He  used  all  the  means  that  his 
long  experience  could  suggest ;  but  by  nine 
o'clock,  so  rapid  had  been  the  progress  of  the 
disease,  he  left  the  bedside,  saying,  "  I  can  do 
no  more !     He  can  live  but  a  few  hours." 

It  had  not  needed  these  words  to  assure  Mrs. 
Vinton  that  the  costliest  sacrifice  she  could 
offer  was  now  to  be  laid  upon  God's  altar.  The 
closing  scene  can  only  be  described  in  the 
words  of  this  devoted  wife ;  and  we  give  entire 
the  letter  in  which  the  news  of  their  father's 
death  is  communicated  to  the  son  and  daughter. 

"Dear,  dear  Children,  —  You  seldom  write  to  me 
about  your  religious  feelings.  Is  your  love  to  God 
increasing,  or  diminishing?  This  you  can  ascertain  by 
asking  yourselves  whether  you  possess  any  thing  too 
dear  to  give  back  to  God,  the  Author  of  all  our  mercies. 
I  know  that  you  love  your  parents.  Do  you  love  them 
so  much  that  you  would  be  loath  to  part  with  them  if 
God  calls  ? 

"  Three  sabbaths  ago  I  was  in  the  south-east  room 
reading  my  Bible,  and  feeling  very  happy  in  my  mind. 
I  knelt  down  to  pray ;  and  in  my  prayer  I  renewed  my 
covenant  with  God,  and  distinctly  surrendered  myself, 


150  THE    VIXTOXS    AXD    THE    KARENS. 

soul,  body,  time,  influence,  children,  and  husbard,  to  the 
Lord;  and  I  felt  so  hearty  and  happy  in  doing  it!  In  a 
moment  something  seemed  to  ask  me  if  God  should 
accept  of  this  surrender,  and  should  take  any  one  of 
these  things,  whether  I  would  heartily  resign  it  without 
a  murmur?  I  shuddered  at  the  thought,  and  sank  back, 
and  was  about  to  rise  from  my  knees,  but  shuddered  still 
more  at  my  feelings.  I  spoke  out  aloud,  '  Have  I  been 
so  long  a  time  a  professor  of  religion,  and  have  I  any 
thing  too  dear  to  give  to  God  ?  No,  Lord ! '  And  I 
burst  into  tears,  and  exclaimed,  '  No,  Lord  :  I  am  hon- 
est in  my  surrender.  I  resign  every  thing  and  every 
one.' 

"I  felt  fully  assured  from  that  time  that  God  was 
about  to  make  a  requirement.  What,  I  did  not  know. 
Sometimes  I  thought  it  would  be  one  of  you.  I  made 
up  my  mind  that  the  cords  which  bound  me  to  earth 
were  about  to  be  sundered.  During  the  week,  from  day 
to  day,  I  used  to  go  to  my  closet  to  cast  my  cares  upon 
Jesus  ;  and  oh,  what  precious  seasons  I  spent  there  ! 

"Every  thing  about  the  mission  work,  about  your 
father,  who  was  then  absent  upon  the  mountains  west 
of  Shway  Gyeen,  every  thing  about  you  two,  or  about 
your  return,  I  carried  there,  and  left  quietly.  Some- 
times, on  coming  away,  I  said  to  myself,  '  Why  have  I 
for  these  many  years  been  groaning  under  my  cares, 
when  it  is  so  easy  to  lay  them  at  the  feet  of  a  loving 
Saviour.?' 

"  Soon  your  father  returned,  having  been  absent  about 
a  month.  He  was  not  quite  well ;  but  he  would  not  say 
he  was  ill,  only  'very  tired  and  worn  out  with  the  long 
journey  on  the  elephant.' 


MRS.    VINTON  S    LETTER.  I51 

"The  next  day  he  was  more  languid,  and  his  flesh 
hotter;  but  he  had  been  gone  so  long,  that  there  was  a 
world  of  business  to  be  attended  to,  and  the  natives 
were  around  him  all  day.  In  the  evening  we  attended 
the  meeting  at  Gen.  Bell's.  Your  father  led,  and  I  am 
sure  some  of  his  remarks  about  the  bliss  of  heaven  will 
never  be  forgotten  by  those  present. 

"  The  next  morning  he  felt  worse,  but  still  he  worked 
all  day.  Friday  he  consented  to  take  some  medicine, 
and  kept  his  bed.  He  had  asked  an  engineer  to  give 
him  some  advice  about  the  new  shingle  roof  for  Frank's 
Chapel ;  but  toward  evening  he  said  he  could  not  walk 
over,  and  I  must  go.  I  made  ready;  but,  when  Capt. 
Newmarch  came,  he  went  over,  and  stood  talking  nearly 
an  hour. 

"  He  had  a  bad  night,  and  early  Saturday  morning  I 
sent  for  the  doctor.  I  went  into  my  closet  with  this  new 
care  to  cast  at  Jesus'  feet ;  but  alas  !  as  soon  as  I  knelt 
down,  and  asked  God  to  restore  your  dear  father  to 
health,  something  seemed  to  ask  me,  'Do  you  remem- 
ber your  laying  all  upon  God's  altar  ?  God  has  accepted 
the  offering,  and  is  now  going  to  take  it  to  himself.'  I 
tried  to  pray,  but  could  not,  and  left  the  room  in  anguish, 
fully  knowing  that  a  dreadful  blow  was  pending,  and  yet 
not  daring  to  murmur,  or  say,  '  Why  doest  thou  so  ? ' 

"  On  Monday  he  was  so  much  worse  that  the  doctor 
forbade  any  one  seeing  him  but  myself  and  Mary  Bray- 
ton.  Tuesday  the  fever  left  him ;  but  just  at  night  dys- 
entery set  in,  and  at  nine  o'clock  the  doctor  left  his 
bedside,  saying  he  could  do  no  more  for  him,  and  that 
probably  he  would  not  live  two  hours ;  but  he  did  sur- 
vive until  seven  o'clock  Wednesday  morning,  March  31. 


152  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

"  One  thing  was  very  remarkable,  that  he  suffered  so 
little  during  his  short  illness.  I  asked  him  very  fre- 
quently if  he  had  a  headache,  or  pain  anywhere  (such  as 
usually  accompanies  fever) ;  but  he  invariably  said  '  No : ' 
and  the  doctor  assured  me  he  was  right,  —  that  there  was 
no  feeling  but  that  of  weakness  and  languor.  Those 
who  saw  him  pass  away,  and  then  looked  upon  the 
corpse,  exclaimed,  '  This  is  not  death  ! '  No,  dear  chil- 
dren, do  not  ever  say  that  your  father  is  dead.  He  is 
only  gone  into  the  inner  sanctuary,  to  perform  a  higher 
and  a  nobler  work  than  travelling  in  the  Karen  jungles. 

"You  must  feel  that  if  you  are  not  descended  from 
the  titled  ancestry  of  earth,  you  are  the  children  of  a 
uian  of  God,  passed  into  the  skies.  Few  children  ever 
had  such  a  father.     Oh,  strive  to  be  just  like  him ! 

"You  know  how  he  was  beloved,  and  all  but  wor- 
shipped, throughout  the  Karen  jungles.  Some  seem  to 
think  that  it  almost  amounted  to  idolatry,  and  that  it  was 
necessary  to  take  him  away  that  the  churches  might 
look  more  directly  to  God ;  but  he  was  as  much  beloved 
and  respected,  yea,  venerated,  by  the  English  community. 

"  The  funeral  was  attended  this  morning  by  all  the 
missionaries,  and  all  the  officers^  civil  and  military. 
Every  one  feels  the  dreadful  blow,  and  some  go  so  far 
as  to  predict  the  utter  ruin  of  the  whole  mission;  but  not 
so.  God  is  not  dead !  He  knew  what  he  was  doing  in 
taking  away  the  holiest  and  hardest-working  missionary 
from  the  field  ;  and  I  think  he  will  now  pour  out  his 
Spirit,  and  carry  on  the  work  more  powerfully  than  ever 
before. 

"  The  cause  was  dear  to  your  father,  very  dearj  but 


MRS.    VINTON  S    LETTER.  153 

it  is  much  dearer  to  the  Saviour.  Prepare  to  come  out 
with  his  mantle  upon  you. 

"  The  day  before  your  father  fell  asleep  he  asked  if  I 
had  written  to  you.  I  said  '  No :  I  cannot  get  time  to 
write  this  mail.'  He  said,  'You  must  write,  and  assure 
them  that  I  am  not  very  ill.  I  fear  some  one  may  write, 
and  that  they  will  worry  about  me,  and  think  that  I  shall 
die.' 

'•  After  the  doctor  gave  him  up,  I  wanted  to  tell  him 
that  he  might  not  live,  and  ask  him  for  some  directions 
for  the  future ;  but  the  friends  who  stood  by  would  not 
consent.  They  could  not  believe  that  he  was  going  to 
die,  and  thought  it  would  alarm  him  unnecessarily.  All 
that  I  could  do  was  to  say  to  him,  — 

" '  My  dear,  this  is  a  dying  world.  In  the  event  of 
any  thing  happening  to  either  of  us,  what  would  be  your 
wish  with  regard  to  the  children.?'  He  answered,  'To 
have  them  complete  their  studies,  and  come  out  and  take 
our  places.' 

" '  But  if  we  should  both  die,  what  about  Calista  ? 
Would  you  think  it  best  for  her  to  come  if  we  are  not 
here  ?' 

"  '  Oh,  yes  !  Tell,  her  not  to  fear,  but  to  trust  God : 
he  will  take  care  of  her.' 

"  At  another  time  I  leaned  over  the  bedside  and  said, 
'  Dear,  how  do  you  feel  now  1  Shall  we  together  see  the 
goodness  of  the  Lord  in  the  land  of  the  living?'  He 
looked  up  so  pleasantly,  and  said,  '  Yes  ! ' 

"  '  Have  we  long  years  of  usefulness  before  us  ?  ' 

"  '  Yes  !  Oh,  yes  ! ' 

"  Mr.  Brayton,  who  was  watching  with  him,  said  de- 


154  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

cidedly,  '  I  cannot  think  brother  Vinton's  work  is  done 
yet.' 

"  Not  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before  he  died,  the  doctor 
asked  him  how  he  felt.  He  answered,  'A  little  stronger.' 
I  do  not  think  he  thought  of  dying  until  he  opened  his 
eyes  in  glory." 

What  more  fitting  close  to  a  shining  life  like 
his,  than  to  be  translated  thus  suddenly  from 
the  battle-field  to  the 'presence  of  the  Lord  ; 
to  die,  as  he  had  lived,  "■  with  the  harness  on ; " 
to  close  his  ** tired"  eyes,  thinking  only  of  a 
brief  rest  ere  he  went  forth  to  the  conflict 
again,  and  to  open  them  in  the 

"  City  of  the  pearl-bright  portal, 
City  of  the  jasper  wall, 
City  of  the  golden  pavement, 
Seat  of  endless  festival  "  ! 

What  mattered  it  that  there  was  no  opportu- 
nity for  dying  testimony,  for  a  last  good-by  to 
the  faithful  wife,  or  tender  messages  to  the 
absent  children  }  His  life  and  labors  had  been 
one  continual  testimony  ;  and  to  the  mourning 
wife  and  children  there  was  the  less  need  of 
loving  farewell  messages,  since,  in  all  the  long 
past,  there  had  not  been  one  bitter  word  which 
needed  now  to  be  unsaid. 

There  was  a  hush  in  the  room  as  the  spirit 


FUNERAL    SERVICES.  155 

took  its  flight ;  and  then  an  awe  came  down 
upon  those  who  stood  by,  as  they  beheld  the 
mysterious  transfiguration  that  sometimes  comes 
after  death.  As  they  saw  a  glad  smile  creep 
over  the  sleeping  face,  they  felt  that  in  some 
inexplicable  way  the  happy,  glorified  spirit  had 
been  enabled  to  whisper  to  its  other  self  some- 
thing of  the  unutterable  glories  of  the  world 
beyond.  The  soul  that  had  so  long  panted  for 
more  holiness,  and  greater  conformity  to  the 
divine  image,  was  at  last  satisfied,  because  it 
had  ''awakened  in  His  likeness." 

We  cannot  explain  the  unwillingness  of  Mr. 
Vinton's  friends  to  believe  that  he  was  about 
to  die,  even  after  the  doctor  had  given  him  up, 
except  that  they  all  loved  him  so,  and  felt  that 
he  was  doing  such  a  great  work,  and  that  he 
was  so  necessary  to  it,  that  it  was  impossible 
that  God  could  be  about  to  take  him  away. 
He  had  gone  in  and  out  before  them  for  so 
many  years,  a  tower  of  strength,  that  they 
seem  to  have  imagined  that  he  could  not  die. 

Mr.  Rose  said,  in  his  address  at  the  fu- 
neral, — 

"Is  it  possible  that  Mr.  Vinton  is  dead,  —  our  friend 
and  brother,  esteemed  and  beloved  as  a  devoted  and 
honored  servant  of  God  ?  Shall  we  see  his  familiar  face 
and  hear  his  friendly  voice  no  more  ? 


156  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

"  I  confess  I  find  it  difficult  to  realize  this.  Nay,  I 
cannot  realize  it.  I  have  never  felt  such  a  strong  pro- 
pensity in  my  mind  to  reject  the  evidence  of  my  own 
senses  as  in  this  case.  There  is  something  within, 
stronger  than  an  ordinary  unbelief,  that  sternly  refuses 
to  admit  as  true  what  my  own  eyes  have  seen. 

"  When  I  first  saw  the  icy  hand  of  death  laid  upon  his 
countenance,  I  felt,  for  the  moment,  as  if  God  had  made 
a  mistake.  I  felt  as  if  the  Angel  of  Death  had  been 
misdirected.  I  felt  that  Mr.  Vinton's  time  had  not  yet 
come,  that  his  work  was  not  yet  done;  for  though  he  had 
labored  among  this  people  for  twenty-four  years,  and 
though  his  labors  have  been  blessed  and  honored  of  God 
as  the  labors  of  but  few  men  have  been,  yet  it  seemed  to 
me  the  great  amount  of  good  he  had  been  enabled, 
through  divine  help,  to  accomplish,  was  a  pledge  of  his 
still  more  abundant  labors,  of  success  still  more  heart- 
cheering  and  glorious. 

"He  walked  among  us  in  the  midst  of  his  years,  in 
the  dignity  of  undiminished  strength  and  ripened  man- 
hood, presenting  before  us  a  spectacle  morally  beautiful 
and  noble.  All  the  powers  of  his  manhood  were  conse- 
crated to  the  highest  interests  of  men.  In  the  emphatic 
command,  'Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the 
gospel  to  every  creature,'  he  heard  the  voice  of  Jesus 
speaking  to  him ;  and  confiding  without  a  doubt  in  the 
promise,  *  Lo !  I  am  with  you  alway,'  he  came  to  these 
ends  of  the  earth,  and  went  through  these  provinces  of 
Burmah,  from  village  to  village,  and  from  town  to  town, 
in  season  and  out  of  season,  bearing  precious  seed,  even 
the  lancprruptible  word  of  God,  which  liveth  and  abideth 
fpfeyef, 


MR.    ROSES    ADDRESS.  I57 

"  God  was  with  him ;  for  his  language  was,  '  Send  me 
not  except  thou  go  with  me.'  Christ  was  with  him,  for 
he  felt  that  without  him  he  could  do  nothing ;  and  what 
has  been  the  result?  His  spiritual  children  are  now 
numbered  by  scores  of  thousands.  Many,  who  had  re- 
ceived the  life-giving  words  from  his  lips,  have  gone  to 
heaven  before  him,  and  many  more  are  now  on  the  way. 

"  As  I  follow  the  soul  of  our  departed  brother  up  to 
the  world  of  bliss,  I  see,  with  a  vision  stronger  and  more 
true  than  that  of  the  natural  eye,  companies  of  redeemed 
Karens,  radiant  in  robes  of  light,  with  harps  of  gold, 
coming  forth  to  give  the  first  greeting,  saying,  '  O  teach- 
er, teacher!  have  you  come?  Welcome!  welcome!'  I 
can  hear  them  say,  '  Teacher,  but  for  you,  we  had  never 
come  here.  You  showed  us  the  way  of  eternal  life. 
You  led  us  to  Jesus,  You  taught  us  how  to  pray,  and 
here  we  are  redeemed  and  glorified.' 

"  Mr.  Vinton's  aim  was  something  higher  and  nobler 
than  to  establish  a  mere  nominal  Christianity.  It  was 
to  win  souls  to  Christ,  to  bring  men  practically  and  ex- 
perimentally to  the  knowledge  of  repentance  toward 
God,  and  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  resulting  in 
hoHness  of  heart  and  life." 

These  are  the  words  of  a  brother  missionary, 
one  who  had  known  him  intimately  for  years ; 
and  it  was  a  common  saying,  that  to  know  Mr. 
Vinton  was  to  love  him. 

The  following  tribute  appeared  in  "The 
Christian  Secretary  :  "  — 


158  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

"Justus  H.  Vinton  is  dead.  The  toils  and  labors  of 
the  devoted  missionary  are  ended,  and  he  has  gone  up 
to  receive  his  reward.  For  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century 
brother  Vinton  labored  with  unflagging  faith  and  devoted 
zeal  in  the  cause  of  his  Master.  No  obstacle  was  pow- 
erful enough  to  discourage  him  in  his  labor  of  love.  No 
adverse  circumstance  could  for  a  moment  delay  him  in 
the  work  which  he  had  evidently  been  called  to  do. 

"  In  storms  and  sunshine,  in  prosperity  and  in  adver- 
sity, brother  Vinton  was  still  the  same.  Earnestly  de- 
voted to  his  Master's  service,  blessed  with  an  iron  consti- 
tution, an  indomitable  will,  and  unwavering  faith  in  the 
promises,  his  whole  missionary  life  was  a  glowing  exam- 
ple of  a  devoted  disciple,  earnestly  engaged  in  his  Mas- 
ter's vineyard, 

"  Nor  were  his  labors  unblessed.  No  missionary 
could  point  to  as  many  converts,  as  the  seals  of  his  min- 
istry, as  Justus  H.  Vinton. 

"  There  will  be  no  more  misunderstandings  with  regard 
to  the  'policy'  of  brother  Vinton.  He  may  have  made 
mistakes  in  the  course  of  his  long  missionary  career. 
It  would  be  surprising  if  he  had  not;  but  they  were 
errors  of  the  head,  and  not  of  the  heart.  Whatever  they 
may  have  been,  or  however  he  may  have  been  misunder- 
stood in  this  country,  he  was  always  honest  in  his  deal- 
ings with  his  fellow-men. 

"  He  is  beyond  the  reach  of  criticism  now,  and  we  are 
sure  that  no  one  will  feel  disposed  to  indulge  in  it.  As 
a  Christian  and  a  missionary,  his  name  will  be  held  in 
cherished  remembrance  by  thousands  of  his  friends  in 
this  country,  as  well  as  in  India,  and  future  generations 
will  rise  up  to  call  him  blessed." 


MR.    VINTON  S    LAST    LETTER.  1 59 


No  more  fitting  close  to  this  memoir  can  be 
found  than  the  closing  sentences  of  the  letter 
written  by  Mr.  Vinton  to  the  Baptist  churches 
of  Connecticut  just  before  leaving  for  his  last 
journey,  and  which  was  found  among  his  papers 
after  his  death. 

"  Here,  then,  is  the  great  subject-matter  of  my  letter. 
You  have  helped  us  with  your  contributions  of  money 
most  liberally,  and  we  pray  God  to  reward  you  a  thou- 
sand-fold. But  what  avails  this,  so  long  as  these  pre- 
cious souls  are  not  converted  ?  and  this  never  can  be, 
without  more  wrestling,  agonizing  prayer  to  God.  Were 
it  possible  that  prevailing  prayer  could  be  offered  unac- 
companied by  alms,  and  could  we  have  but  one,  I  would 
unhesitatingly  say,  '■Leave  us^  if  need  be,  to  starve,  but  give 
us  of  your  prayers,  that  the  work  of  saving  souls  may 
go  on.'  And  yet  I  know  that  no  man  can  offer  prevailing 
prayer  who  does  not  lie  as  a  living  or  dying  sacrifice  upon 
God's  altar,  without  stipulation,  condition,  or  reserve. 

"  Oh,  what  a  precious  privilege  !  Every  thing  upon 
that  altar  —  our  bodies,  our  souls,  our  children,  our 
property,  our  influence,  our  all  !  What  an  inheritance 
for  our  children ! 

"Brethren  and  sisters,  I  earnestly  entreat  you  to 
meet  us  before  that  altar  upon  which  our  earthly  all  shall 
have  been  deposited,  that  we  may  there  become  wrestling 
Jacobs  and  prevailing  Israels  upon  behalf  of  priceless 
souls,  —  that  we  may  indeed  travail  in  birth  for  souls  till 
'  Christ  be  formed  in  them  the  hope  of  glory.' 
"  Affectionately  yours, 

"J.  H.  Vl\ton." 


l60  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 


CHAPTER   XIL 

"  This  earth  has  lost  its  power  to  drag  me  downward; 
Its  spell  is  gone : 
My  course  is  now  right  upward  and  right  onward, 
To  yonder  throne." 

The  sad  story  was  whispered  from  one  weep- 
ing Karen  to  another.  The  pastors  told  it  to 
their  people  with  broken  utterances.  Little 
companies  of  Karens  went  from  village  to 
village,  not,  as  six  years  before,  to  carry  the 
glad  news  that  the  deliverer  had  come,  but 
with  the  heavy  tidings  that  the  best  earthly 
friend  the  Karens  had  ever  had  was  gone  from 
them  forever.  Large  companies  came  down  to 
the  city,  stunned  with  the  news,  and  anxious, 
not  only  to  learn  from  the  mamma's  own  lips 
the  confirmation  of  the  sad  report,  but  to  min- 
gle their  tears  with  hers,  to  look  into  the 
vacant  study,  so  filled  with  tender  associations 
to  many  of  them,  and  to  gaze  on  the  grave  of 
one  whom  they  had  loved  only  too  well. 

It  was  touching  to  see  some    of  them   steal 


SYMPATHIZING   KARENS.  l6l 

off  to  his  Study,  and  pass  their  hands  caress- 
ingly over  the  quaint  old-fashioned  chair  he  al- 
ways sat  in,  and  over  the  papers  which  lay  on 
the  desk  still  undisturbed,  as  if  in  the  hard 
rough  outlines  of  the  wood,  and  in  the  rustling 
paper,  there  must  be  some  lingering  memory 
of  the  busy  hands  which  were  now  forever  at 
rest.  Though  crushed  at  first  by  the  sudden- 
ness of  the  blow,  yet  they  had  been  too  long 
under  the  influence  of  that  hopeful,  trusting 
spirit,  to  doubt  that  the  Lord,  who  had  raised 
them  up  such  a  leader  and  helper  in  the  dark- 
est hour  of  their  need,  would  still  be  their  sup- 
port and  stay  in  this  heavy  affliction.  Thou- 
sands of  prayers  went  up  from  that  smitten 
flock  for  the  bereaved  widow,  for  the  fatherless 
children  so  far  away,  and  for  themselves,  that 
the  Great  Shepherd  might  now  lead  them,  and 
teach  them  to  depend  more  wholly  upon  him. 

Deputations  of  native  pastors  came  to  beg 
Mrs.  Vinton  not  to  leave  them  to  return  to  her 
home  in  America,  but  to  remain  and  to  take  up 
her  husband's  work,  and  to  go  before  them  as 
he  had  done. 

Go  home  to  America !  Yes  :  it  would  have 
been  sweet  to  go  back  to  the  dear  old  home- 
stead where  her  childhood  had  been  spent,  and 


1 62  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

where  an  aged  mother  still  longed  for  one  more 
sio:ht  of  the  absent  daucrhter.  Fond  sisters 
and  a  loving  brother  would  have  vied  with  each 
other  in  making  her  last  years  happy  and  rest- 
ful ;  and,  more  than  all,  her  two  children  were 
in  America ;  and  who  could  have  blamed  her  if 
she  had  turned  her  steps  hithervvard,  and,  con- 
tenting herself  with  twenty-four  years  of  active, 
ceaseless  service  for  the  heathen,  had  spent  the 
last  six  years  of  her  life  in  the  retirement  of 
her  home,  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  society 
of  the  host  of  friends  who  stood  ready  to  wel- 
come her  to  these  shores  ? 

Doubtless  the  home  of  her  childhood,  with 
its  many  tender  memories,  never  appeared  more 
peaceful  and  inviting,  with  its  low-browed  roof 
and  quaint  New  England  surroundings,  —  the 
orchard,  the  chestnut-wood,  and  the  whispering 
pines,  where  had  been  her  bower  of  prayer ; 
doubtless  the  claims  of  the  aged  mother,  the 
widowed  sister,  and  her  own  fatherless  chil- 
dren, never  appealed  so  strongly  to  her  heart ; 
but  clear  and  distinct  above  these  came  the 
call  from  the  Karen  churches,  the  entreaties 
of  the  native  Christians,  the  cry  of  the  igno- 
rant and  perishing  all  around.  We  cannot  be 
surprised  that  she  resolutely  endeavored  to  put 


SHALL    SHE    RETURN    HOME?  163 

aside  her  own  grief,  and  sense  of  loss,  and  be- 
gan to  strengthen  the  hearts  of  the  pastors 
with  words  of  encouragement,  and  to  comfort 
the  weeping  disciples  with  the  assurance,  that, 
so  long  as  she  lived,  she  would  remain  with 
them,  and  labor  on  as  before. 

Great  grace  and  power  seemed  to  come  upon 
her  from  on  high,  as  if  to  prepare  her  for  the 
lonely,  toilsome  path  before  her.  Dr.  Kincaid, 
the  old  and  tried  friend,  concerning  whom  the 
Vintons  had  so  often  occasion  to  use  the  lan- 
guage of  Proverbs  xvii.  17,  and  Philippians  i.  3, 
came  at  once  from  Prome  to  Rangoon,  and,  by 
his  judicious  counsel  and  hearty  co-operation, 
very  much  aided  Mrs.  Vinton  and  the  native 
pastors  in  arranging  plans  of  work  for  the 
future.  Not  content  with  this,  he  went  out 
among  the  people  to  assure  them  that  the 
mamma  would  not  leave  them,  and  that,  when- 
ever they  needed  his  presence  or  assistance,  he 
would  come  at  once,  and  help  them  in  any  way 
that  he  could.  These  were  no  ''idle  words." 
Eugenio  Kincaid  was  a  man  of  deeds,  large- 
hearted,  and  self-sacrificing ;  and  many  a  time, 
during  the  next  six  years,  did  he  leave  his 
field,  and  come  to  Rangoon  to  aid  Mrs.  Vinton 
by  his  counsel,  in   carrying  on   a  work   under 


164  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

which    many  a   pastor   in   this    country  would 
have  staggered. 

Never  was  a  Burman  missionary  so  loved 
and  trusted  by  the  Karens  as  Dr.  Kincaid. 
Like  the  dear  teacher  who  had  just  gone  from 
them,  he  had  shown  that  he  sought  "not 
theirs,  but  them."  Fearless  and  independent, 
while  trusting  and  humble,  he  read  in  his  com- 
mission, **  Preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature  ;  " 
and  whether,  in  his  journeys  among  the  Bur- 
mans,  he  came  across  a  Karen  hamlet  or  a 
garrison  of  English  soldiers,  he  never  refrained 
from  preaching  Christ  to  them,  because  he  had 
not  been  specially  "designated"  to  them.  His 
work  was  owned  and  blessed  of  God ;  and,  be- 
sides the  many  trophies  won  from  among  the 
Burmans,  he  will  meet  in  heaven  hundreds  of 
redeemed  Karens  who  first  heard  the  gospel 
from  his  lips,  besides  many  others  who  were 
cheered  and  helped  by  his  earnest  words  and 
example.  Dear,  noble,  old  man  !  —  the  hero  of 
a  hundred  fights,  —  his  indomitable  courage 
never  failed  him,  whether  facing  the  robbers  in 
northern  Burmah,  or  the  governor  of  Rangoon 
with  his  infuriated  soldiery,  or  the  terrors  of  an 
ecclesiastical  council  in  Maulmain.  Right  was 
right,  and  duty  was  duty ;  and  his  voice  was 
always  heard  on  the  side  of  truth. 


DR.    KINCAID.  165 

While  we  write  these  lines,  news  comes  from 
his  far-off  western  home  that  he  lies  very  ill, 
possibly  at  the  point  of  death. 

God  grant  that  this  may  not  be  true !  May 
that  brave,  true  heart  beat  for  many  a  year  yet  ! 
The  flashing  eye  which  so  often  made  the  cruel 
oppressor  quail  beneath  its  gaze  is  dimmed 
with  age.  The  arm  which  has  dealt  so  many 
true  blows  for  God  and  right  is  weak  and 
trembling  with  infirmity.  But  may  God  grant 
to  make  the  walk  home,  in  the  hush  of  evening, 
a  calm  and  restful  one ;  and  as  the  twilight 
deepens,  and  the  forms  of  earth  are  lost  in  the 
gathering  darkness,  may  the  lights  of  home 
shine  out  all  the  clearer  !  May  He  who  has  said, 
"  I  will  never  leave  thee  nor  forsake  thee," 
place  around  him  the  "  Everlasting  Arms  "  !  and 
may  this  man  of  God  share  in  the  quiet  trust 
expressed  in  the  lines  of  Bonar  :  — 

"  I  am  wandering  down  life's  shady  path,  — 
Slowly,  slowly,  wandering  down : 
I  am  wandering  down  life's  rugged  path,  — 
Slowly,  slowly,  wandering  down. 

'Tis  the  mellow  flush  of  sunset  now, 

'Tis  the  shadow  and  the  cloud  ; 
'Tis  the  dimness  of  the  dying  eve, 

'Tis  the  shadow  and  the  cloud. 


l66  THE    VINTONS    AND   THE    KARENS. 

'Tis  the  dreamy  haze  of  twilight  now, 

'Tis  the  hour  of  silent  trust; 
'Tis  the  solemn  hue  of  fading  skies, 

'Tis  the  time  of  tranquil  trust. 

We  have  shared  our  earthly  sorrows 

Each  with  the  other  here  ; 
We  shall  share  our  heavenly  gladness 

Each  with  the  other  there. 

We  have  mingled  tears  together, 
We  shall  mingle  smiles  and  song; 

We  have  mingled  sighs  together, 
We  shall  mingle  smiles  and  song." 

No  one  on  that  heavenly  shore  will  be  more 
glad  to  greet  Eugenio  Kincaid  than  his  old 
comrade  on  the  mission  field.  They  had  toiled 
together  side  by  side  for  years ;  together  they 
had  won  many  a  victory  over  the  powers  of 
hell ;  and  together  shall  they,  with  that  other 
grand  old  veteran,  Jabez  Swan,  walk  the  golden 
streets,  and  thank  God  for  permitting  them  to 
do  and  to  suffer  for  his  cause. 

The  burden  of  -the  churches  thus  thrown 
upon  Mrs.  Vinton,  made  it  necessary  that  she 
should  commit  a  large  portion  of  the  school- 
work  to  assistants ;  and  here  she  began  to  reap 
the  fruits  of  the  care  and  wisdom  with  which 


FRUITS    OF    EDUCATIONAL    WORK.  16/ 

the  educational  work  of  previous  years  had  been 
conducted. 

In  the  Normal  School  in  Maulmain,  which 
in  the  midst  of  its  greatest  promise  came  to 
such  an  untimely  end,  had  been  two  Karen  girls 
who  had  been  named  by  friends  in  America, 
Fidelia  and  Eliza.  They  had  profited,  during 
the  short  time  they  had  been  in  the  Normal 
School,  by  the  instructions  of  Miranda  Vinton 
and  Miss  Wright,  who  were  in  charge. 

These  two  girls  Mrs.  Vinton  called  to  her 
assistance,  and  they  soon  developed  into  teach- 
ers of  marked  ability.  They  differed  widely  in 
disposition  and  temperament,  each  in  a  sense 
the  complement  of  the  other,  yet,  both  by  dis- 
position and  long  friendship,  fitted  to  work  suc- 
cessfully together.  They  had  married  men  in 
every  way  worthy  of  them.  Eliza's  husband, 
Rev.  Thah-mway,  has  been  for  more  than 
twenty-five  years  a  most  devoted  and  efficient 
preacher  and  teacher,  for  the  greater  portion  of 
the  time  being  an  ordained  pastor,  in  charge  of 
a  large  district  of  native  churches  ;  not  only 
directing  with  admirable  skill  the  unordained 
pastors  and  assistants  under  his  charge,  but 
also  doing  splendid  service  as  an  evangelist. 

Fidelia's    husband,   Nyo-poh,  was,    until    his 


l68  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

death,  employed  as  a  teacher  ;  for  a  long  time  in 
the  city  school,  of  which  he  was  treasurer.  He 
was  a  most  faithful  and  trustworthy  man,  and 
wholly  w^orthy  of  the  implicit  confidence  with 
which  he  was  regarded  by  the  missionaries. 
The  assistance  of  these  teachers  left  Mrs.  Vin- 
ton more  time  to  devote  to  the  necessary  over- 
sight of  the  churches.  It  has  never  been  fully 
understood  in  this  country  that  a  large  share  of 
the  personal  work  of  a  missionary  is  devoted  to 
this  task  of  oversight.  Constituted  as  the  ma- 
jority of  the  churches  are,  at  least  in  the  first 
or  second  generation  of  mission  labor,  of  con- 
verts who  are  either  entirely  uneducated,  or  but 
partially  trained,  and  embarrassed  by  the  rem- 
nants of  heathen  superstitions  and  customs, 
they  would  need  the  very  best  of  pastors ;  but 
to  supply  this  need  we  have  only  the  ranks  of 
the  converts  themselves  from  which  to  draw. 
This  difficulty  has  led  to  a  system  of  oversight 
and  advice  upon  the  part  of  the  missionaries, 
which  demands  much  time,  and  is  the  source  of 
great  anxiety. 

Fortunately,  in  our  older  missions  in  Burmah, 
the  necessity  for  such  work  is  passing  away 
with  the  introduction  of  a  thoroughly  trained 
native  ministry ;  and  each  generation  of  effort 


THE    WORK    OF    OVERSIGHT.  169 

leaves  the  missionary  more  free  for  personal 
labor  among  the  heathen.  However,  with  the 
formation  of  new  churches  in  heathen  districts, 
arises  again  the  necessity  for  advice  from  the 
missionary,  and  the  same  process  is  repeated. 
We  long  for  the  day  when  the  supply  of  native 
preachers  from  the  old  fields  will  not  only  meet 
the  demands  of  the  old  churches,  but  will  fur- 
nish a  sufficient  corps  of  native  missionaries  to 
meet  the  wants  of  the  new  fields  opening  on 
every  side. 

It  is  but  right  and  fair  to  the  missionaries 
to  say  that  they  confine  themselves  to  advice. 
They  never  attempt  to  exercise  any  disciplinary 
authority,  or  to  become  in  any  sense  '*  Lords 
over  God's  heritage."  Their  desire  is  to  train 
the  natives  so  that  as  quickly  as  possible  they 
may  be  qualified  to  direct  their  own  church 
affairs. 

In  this  work  of  oversight  Mrs.  Vinton  was 
greatly  assisted  by  the  three  ordained  pastors, 
Mau-Yay,  Nga-lay,  and  Yai-pau,  and  by  others 
equally  faithful,  but  not  so  prominent.  It 
seemed  as  if  special  grace  was  given  to  the 
pastors  in  this  emergency ;  for  never  before, 
even  in  the  brightest  days  of  the  mission,  had 
there  been   such  a  display  of  faithfulness  and 


170  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

zeal  as  now.  Nor  was  it  alone  among  the  pas- 
tors that  Mrs.  Vinton  found  hearty  and  effi- 
cient supporters. 

Loonee-pa  and  Myat-tway,  who,  with  their 
sons,  were  engaged  in  business  in  Rangoon, 
and  were  living  on  the  mission  premises, 
stood  ready  to  render  all  assistance  in  their 
power  in  the  conduct  of  the  temporal  affairs  of 
the  mission.  The  donations  of  these  two  fami- 
lies were  on  a  scale  which  would  put  to  shame 
many  a  one  who,  in  this  country,  has  won  the 
praise  of  his  brethren  for  liberality.  • 

Others,  of  less  means,  were  equally  generous. 
It  is  impossible  to  convey  any  adequate  idea  of 
the  readiness  of  the  Karens  to  do  any  thing,  or 
give  any  thing,  which  might  help  Mrs.  Vinton 
or  further  the  interests  of  the  mission.  Truly 
the  example  of  self-sacrifice  set  them  by  their 
departed  teacher  had  not  been  lost,  and  its 
influence  is  felt  in  that  mission  until  to-day. 
Even  the  pupils  in  the  schools  participated  in 
this  feeling.  The  "  Revenue  Survey,"  which 
was  the  basis  of  the  assessment  of  taxes,  had 
furnished  employment  to  many  of  the  young 
men  of  Mrs.  Vinton's  school  during  their  vaca- 
tions. Their  work  was  invariably  so  well  done, 
that  a  young  man  had  but  to  present  a  certifi- 


DONATIONS    FROM    SCHOLARS.  I/I 

cate  of  proficiency  from  her,  and  he  secured  an 
appointment  at  once.  From  the  pay  which  the 
pupils,  thus  employed,  received  for  their  work, 
they  set  apart  a  tenth,  a  fifth,  or  sometimes 
even  a  half,  as  a  contribution  to  the  mission. 
Their  donations  were  so  large  in  proportion 
to  their  means,  that  Mrs.  Vinton  felt  com- 
pelled to  remonstrate  with  them  for  giving  so 
much.  The  tears  would  start  to  their  eyes 
as  they  answered  earnestly,  **  We  cannot  give 
too  much.  If  it  had  not  been  for  you  and 
your  instructions,  we  should  never  have  known 
enough  to  have  earned  this  money.  Take  it 
and  use  it,  so  that  others  coming,  as  ignorant  as 
we  were,  may  be  taught  as  well  as  we  have 
been." 

Nor  were  the  churches  behindhand  in  the 
same  liberal  spirit.  Numbers  of  young  men 
who  had  been  educated  in  Mrs.  Vinton's  school 
refused  lucrative  appointments  under  the  Eng- 
lish government,  and  offered  their  services  as 
evansrelists  and  teachers.  The  effect  of  all 
this  upon  Mrs.  Vinton  herself  was  remarkable. 
She  had  always  been  burdened  with  a  despond- 
ing spirit,  and  an  inclination  to  look  upon  the 
''dark  side."  She  had  fought  against  it  ear- 
nestly ;  and,  so  long  as  her  husband  lived,  his 


172  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

sunny,  hopeful  disposition  had  assisted  her  in 
conquering  it.  When  he  died,  it  seemed  as  if 
she  inherited  the  calm  trustfulness  and  confi- 
dence which  had  been  such  a  marked  trait  in 
his  character.  The  wonderful  exhibitions  of 
self-denial  and  sacrifice  presented  by  the  Ka- 
rens strengthened  this  spirit,  and  never  again 
do  we  find  in  her  letters  that  tone  of  despond- 
ency which  was  frequently  to  be  discovered  in 
her  earlier  communications. 

In  addition,  she  was  much  cheered  and 
strengthened  by  the  remembrance  of  a  remark- 
able dream  which  she  had  previous  to  her  hus- 
band's death. 

She  had  gone  to  sleep  with  her  mind  full  of 
anxious  forebodings  caused  by  the  action  of 
the  deputation.  It  seemed  to  her  as  if  there 
was  nothing  left  for  them  to  do  but  to  relin- 
quish the  mission,  and  either  bury  themselves 
in  the  trackless  wildernesses  of  Karennee,  or, 
worse  than  this,  to  return  to  America. 

She  dreamed  that  she  stood  before  a  mighty 
tree,  shapely  and  beautiful,  with  wide-spreading 
branches.  While  she  stood  gazing  at  it,  a 
party  of  men  came,  and  with  stern  determin- 
ation attacked  the  noble  trunk  with  axes,  say- 
ing to  each  other  "  Let  us  cut  it  down  !  "     The 


MRS.    VINTON  S    REMARKABLE    DREAM.        1 73 

work  of  destruction  went  on,  until  the  trunk 
was  nearly  severed,  when  all  save  one  withdrew, 
and  stood  at  a  little  distance  to  watch  its  fall. 
The  last  few  strokes  were  given,  and  the  trunk 
was  severed ;  but,  to  the  astonishment  of  the 
lookers-on  (and  of  the  dreamer),  the  tree  did 
not  fall.  While  she  was  wondering  at  this, 
and  looking  upward,  a  voice  came,  "  The  tree  is 
rooted  in  the  skies.  It  caimot  fall.  It  is  rooted 
i7t  the  skies ;  "  and  then  she  saw  that  the  upper 
branches  were  buried  in  the  clouds. 

She  awoke  ;  and,  as  she  thought  it  over,  the 
impression  grew  upon  her  that  the  dream  was 
indeed  sent  of  God  ;  and  ever  after,  when  diffi- 
culties threatening  the  permanence  of  the  mis- 
sion would  arise,  she  comforted  herself  with 
these  words,  "  It  is  rooted  in  the  skies.  It  can- 
not fall.     It  is  rooted  in  the  skies." 


174  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

"  Go  labor  on  :  enough  while  here 

If  He  shall  praise  thee,  if  He  deign 
Thy  willing  heart  to  mark  and  cheer ; 
No  toil  for  Him  shall  be  in  vain." 

So  soon  as  the  news  of  Mr.  Vinton's  death 
reached  America,  Calista,  who  was  just  about 
to  graduate  at  Suffield,  prepared  to  return  to 
Burmah.  The  churches  in  Connecticut,  who 
had  so  often  and  so  liberally  contributed  to  the 
Vintons,  secured  her  passage  and  outfit ;  and  on 
Christmas  Day,  1858,  the  mother  and  daughter 
were  re-united.  Calista  engaged  at  once  in  the 
school  work,  taking  charge  of  the  classes  in 
mathematics,  and  giving  instruction  in  vocal 
music,  besides  assisting  her  mother  in  the  care 
of  the  boarding  department. 

It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  however,  that 
Mrs.  Vinton  often  trembled  as  she  looked  for- 
ward to  the  future,  feeling  that  the  success  or 
failure  of  the  mission  depended  largely  upon 
the  wisdom  and  skill  with  which   she  directed 


BRANCHES    OF   THE   WORK.  1 75 

its  affairs.  She  had  always  been  a  woman  of 
much  prayer ;  but  she  now  emphatically  gave 
herself  to  supplication  and  prayer  that  God 
would  guide  her  and  the  native  pastors,  and 
pour  out  his  Spirit  on  the  churches,  and  thus, 
by  his  presence  and  special  blessing,  make  up 
for  the  loss  of  their  devoted  and  faithful  leader. 
Mrs.  Vinton  did  not  relinquish  any  of  the 
branches  of  the  work  in  which  she  had  previ- 
ously engaged,  but  carried  on  all  the  different 
departments  of  it  which  had  hitherto  devolved 
upon  both  herself  and  her  husband.  The  only 
change  she  made  was,  that  in  the  dry  season 
she  committed  the  charge  of  the  school  to  the 
native  assistants,  and  spent  her  time  among  the 
village  churches.  This  was  the  more  easily 
done,  as  the  school  at  that  portion  of  the  year 
consisted  mainly  of  the  younger  scholars,  the 
older  ones  havinof  returned  to  their  homes  to 
assist  their  parents  in  the  harvesting  of  the  rice- 
crop. 

By  the  large  Karen  population  scattered 
through  the  jungles  north  and  west  of  Rangoon, 
she  was  welcomed  with  a  heartiness  and  enthu- 
siasm which  few  missionaries  have  experienced. 
Wherever  she  went,  the  people  came  to  her  in 
throngs.     She  was  often  aroused  in  the  morn- 


176  THE    VINTONS    AND   THE    KARENS. 

ing  by  the  creaking  of  the  bamboo  flooring 
under  the  cautious  step  of  early  callers,  who 
were  saying  to  each  other  in  loud  whispers, 
"  Isn't  the  mamma  awake  yet  ?  '*  Often  it 
would  be  midnight  ere  the  last  lingering  visitor 
left.  The  efforts  of  the  people  to  show  them- 
selves hospitable,  and  to  render  her  visits  as 
pleasant  as  possible,  were  most  assiduous.  As 
soon  as  the  news  was  brought  to  a  village  that 
she  had  reached  the  landing-place  at  the  river, 
perhaps  three  or  four  miles  away,  buffalo-carts 
were  despatched  at  once  to  bring  her  and  her 
baggage  to  the  chapel.  Much  care  was  be- 
stowed on  the  selection  of  the  buffaloes,  and 
the  quietest  pair  in  the  neighborhood  was  pro 
moted  to  the  post  of  honor.  Sometimes  when 
the  carts  reached  the  landing-place,  Mrs.  Vin- 
ton would  be  greeted  with  the  laughing  assur- 
ance, "  Come,  mamma,  you  have  nothing  to 
fear  :  these  are  Christian  buffaloes."  But  at 
other  times  it  would  be,  "Take  care,  mamma: 
these  are  heathen  buffaloes ; "  and  the  event 
often  tried  her  powers  of  holding  on  and 
holding  together  to  the  utmost.  The  strange 
antipathy  of  these  creatures  to  white  people 
has  never  been  accounted  for  satisfactorily.  It 
is  in  some  way  connected  with  the  sense  of 


BUFFALO-CART  TRAVELLING.       I  7/ 

smell ;  for  a  whole  herd  will  gaze  quietly  upon  a 
white  person  for  a  time,  but,  just  as  soon  as  he 
goes  to  windward  of  them,  they  begin  to  mani- 
fest great  uneasiness.  The  massive  heads  are 
thrown  up ;  and  the  animals  sniff  the  air  with 
evident  alarm,  not  unmixed  with  anger.  In 
another  moment  the  entire  herd  breaks  into  a 
run,  in  whatever  direction  the  heads  happen  to 
be  turned. 

Some  experienced  old  wiseacres  have  learned 
to  connect  the  odor  with  the  individual,  and  will 
rush  at  a  white  person  wherever  seen  ;  but,  as  a 
rule,  the  mere  presence  of  a  white  man  does 
not  awaken  alarm  if  he  keeps  to  leeward  of  the 
animals. 

Woe  be  to  a  poor  missionary  who  has  deftly 
crawled  into  the  cart  to  which  a  pair  of  these 
powerful  creatures  have  been  harnessed.  Before 
he  has  fairly  crouched  down  in  the  straw,  fond- 
ly imagining,  that,  if  he  can  keep  out  of  sight,  all 
will  be  well,  he  is  convinced  of  his  mistake  by 
a  series  of  snorts  and  plunges ;  and  then  the 
infuriated  beasts  set  off  upon  a  dead  run  across 
the  uneven  paddy-fields,  taking  ditches,  bushes, 
and  embankments  in  their  way  with  the  ut- 
most abandon.  Frantically  the  poor  passenger 
clutches  at  the  sides  of   the  cart,  in  the  vain 


178  THE    VINTONS   AND    THE    KARENS. 

attempt  to  keep  himself  from  being  bumped  to 
a  jelly  as  the  springless  vehicle  bounces  over 
the  rough  ground.  The  straw,  intended  to 
serve  as  cushions,  glides  out  from  under  him  in 
the  most  inconsiderate  manner,  and  gathers 
itself  up  into  an  indignant  lump  at  the  other 
side  of  the  cart. 

The  basket  of  dishes  suddenly  makes  a  lunge, 
and  hits  him  cruelly  in  the  back.  Then  an 
ant-hill  under  one  wheel  upsets  the  basket  of 
cooking  utensils;  and  pots,  pans,  and  kettles 
come  flying  at  him  from  all  sides,  some  landing 
on  the  ground,  to  be  picked  up  by  the  boatmen 
as  they  come  along.  Still  the  buffaloes  keep 
right  on,  never  slacking  their  pace  for  bruised 
body  or  broken  dishes :  their  faces  are  set 
toward  home,  and  they  will  not  rest  until  they 
are  brought  up,  breathless  and  panting,  against 
some  strong  buffalo-pen  in  the  village. 

On  one  occasion  Mrs.  Vinton  found  one  of 
these  uncomfortable  rides  brought  to  a  more 
sudden  termination  than  even  she  had  expected. 
The  buffaloes  had  made  a  sudden  turn,  and 
were  dashing  through  a  grove  of  trees,  when 
one  of  the  solid  wooden  wheels  of  the  cart  came 
against  a  stump.  The  pole  broke ;  and  away 
the  frantic  creatures  galloped  into  the  depths 


THE    DISMAYED    COOK.  1 79 

of  the  jungle,  not  to  be  found  again  until  the 
next  day.  The  village  was  far  away ;  and  the 
catastrophe  would  have  been  solemn,  had  it 
not  been  enlivened  by  the  actions  of  the  "  Kalah 
cook."  His  chief  anxiety  had  been  for  the 
dishes  and  other  household  utensils,  which  he 
had  carefully  transferred  from  the  boat  to  the 
cart,  after  which  he  had  seated  himself  among 
his  "household  goods,"  prepared  to  enjoy  the 
long  ride  to  the  village.  When  the  buffaloes 
began  to  run  away,  he  clutched  frantically  at 
the  basket  of  dishes,  and  tried  to  steady  with 
his  feet  .the  other  basket  containing  the  precious 
little  store  of  tea,  coffee,  sugar,  bread,  butter, 
lard,  curry-powder,  pickles,  flour,  medicines,  and 
spices,  beside  other  necessary  things  not  to  be 
found  short  of  the  city  bazaar.  But  alas !  as 
the  cart  swayed  from  side  to  side,  and  jumped 
up  and  down,  one  thing  after  another  broke 
loose  from  its  moorings,  and  he  soon  found 
his  hands  (and  his  lap  too)  literally  full.  His 
despairing  looks  and  gestures,  his  brief  ejacu- 
lations as  one  dish  after  another  broke,  and 
other  treasures  were  landed  in  the  road,  were 
most  amusing.  He  had  an  evident  determina- 
tion to  "stick  to  his  post,"  but  the  trouble 
seemed  to  be  to  find  the  post.     He  cast  ago- 


l80  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

nizing  glances  over  the  side  of  the  cart  as  it 
danced  along  :  the  desire  was  strong  within  him 
at  times  to  seize  a  basket  and  jump  with  it  to 
the  ground,  but  prudence  forbade.  Mrs.  Vinton 
and  her  good  Nau-oo-thah  found  their  attention 
happily  diverted  from  their  own  suffering  and 
bruised  condition,  as  they  watched  the  comical 
actions  of  the  man  ;  and  they  laughed  until  the 
tears  came.  After  the '*  smash-up  "  he  looked 
very  rueful  as  they  proceeded  to  gather  up  the 
fragments  and  place  them  in  the  baskets,  while 
they  waited  for  another  cart  to  come  for  them 
from  the  village. 

The  "  Kalah  cook,"  while  very  useful  in  his 
own  department,  and  forming  a  necessary  ad- 
junct to  every  travelling  party,  does  not  seem 
gifted  with  many  ideas  beyond  the  work  of 
preparing  meals,  and  keeping  out  of  the  way 
of  the  boatmen,  who  look  upon  him  as  a  mild 
sort  of  intruder. 

Once,  when  Mr.  Luther  was  travelling,  the 
boat  grounded  on  a  sand-bar.  The  boatmen 
immediately  sprang  overboard,  and  began  shov- 
ing it  back  into  deep  water.  It  was  hard  work, 
as  the  tide  was  rapidly  falling ;  but,  as  they 
paused  a  moment  to  take  breath,  they  spied 
the  cook  sitting  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,/^i'^- 


THE    "KALAH    COOK."  l8l 

iiig  against  one  of  the  thwarts  with  all  his 
strength. 

This  grave  attempt  to  aid  in  releasing  the 
boat  from  the  sand-bar  was  too  much  for  the 
Karens  ;  and  they  sat  down  in  the  shallow  water 
and  laughed  and  screamed  to  their  heart's  con- 
tent, while  the  poor  cook  gazed  at  them  in 
bewildered  astonishment.  He  had  never  heard 
of  trying  to  lift  one's  self  over  a  fence  by  pull- 
ing at  his  boot-straps,  for  he  wore  no  boots : 
therefore  the  similarity  of  his  attempt  to  this 
time-worn  problem  did  not  strike  him. 

The  "  Kalah  cook,"  however,  is  in  his  ele- 
ment when  he  has  once  been  safely  landed, 
with  his  belongings,  at  the  native  village.  The 
boatmen  despised  him  and  his  finiking  ways, 
and  hooted  at  him  when  he  suggested  to  one 
of  them  to  go  ashore  after  a  chatty  of  well- 
water  for  culinary  purposes,  instead  of  dipping 
it  up  out  of  the  river.  Here,  however,  at  the 
village  the  people  gaze  on  him  with  a  mixed 
amazement  at  the  blackness  of  his  skin,  the 
whiteness  of  his  garments,  and  the  general 
*'  queerness  "  of  his  methods  of  cooking.  He 
receives  all  offers  of  assistance  with  becoming 
dignity,  taking  the  stray  bundles  of  dry  twigs 
brought  him  by  the  little  urchins,  with  only  a 


1 82  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE   KARENS. 

nod ;  directing,  by  a  lordly  gesture,  where  the 
women  shall  place  the  chatties  of  water  brought 
from  the  well ;  and,  if  unable  to  find  a  place 
sufficiently  sheltered  for  his  cooking,  -making 
signs  for  thatch  and  bamboo  to  make  a  screen 
for  his  fire,  and  thus  shelter  it  from  the  wind. 

He  builds  his  fire  on  the  ground  under  some 
native  house,  or  perchance  a  tree  ;  and  unmoved 
by  the  concentrated  stare  of  some  dozen  or 
more  naked  children  (who  dare  not  venture 
into  the  chapel  where  the  mamma  is,  because 
of  a  rumor  that  she  has  threatened  to  whip  all 
naked  children),  he  proceeds  with  his  cooking. 
His  features  relax  a  little  when  a  dozen  of  eggs 
is  brought  in ;  but  when  a  basket  of  sweet, 
freshly-hulled  rice  comes,  and  with  it  a  fat  hen 
or  duck  for  the  mamma's  dinner,  he  actually 
smiles,  and  exclaims,  "  Koungthai !  "  (good) ;  for 
the  Kalah  cook  generally  has  a  smattering  of 
English  and  Burmese,  and  the  latter  is  his  only 
means  of  communication  with  the  Karens.  But 
we  must  leave  him  to  concoct  a  most  savory 
dinner  with  the  few  and  rude  cooking  appli- 
ances at  his  hand,  —  a  sauce-pan  and  a  fire  kin- 
dled between  three  lumps  of  clay,  —  while  we 
turn  to  the  missionary  and  describe  her  recep- 
tion. 


AT    THE    VILLAGE.  1 83 

Such  of  the  villagers  as  are  not  at  work  in 
the  paddy-fields  are  busy  in  arranging  her  lodg- 
ing and  living  room  in  the  village  chapel.  Her 
roll  of  bedding,  tied  up  carefully  in  matting,  is 
unfastened,  and  spread  out  in  one  corner ;  and 
by  its  side  the  three  or  four  *'pahs"  (mat-work 
covered  baskets)  containing  her  changes  of  cloth- 
ing, books,  medicines,  &c.,  are  placed.  A  bam- 
boo, about  ten  feet  long,  is  extended  from  the 
floor  to  a  beam  overhead ;  and  a  long  strip  of 
cloth  is  stretched  from  one  wall  to  the  bamboo, 
and  at  right  angles  to  another  wall,  thus  form- 
ing a  room  eight  or  ten  feet  square. 

If  the  village  possesses  such  a  thing  as  a 
bedstead,  it  is  often  brought  up  and  placed  in 
the  chapel  before  her  arrival :  but  the  experi- 
enced missionary  generally  prefers  to  spread  a 
bed  on  the  floor ;  for  these  bedsteads,  like  the 
houses  from  which  they  came,  are  more  than 
likely  to  be  swarming  with  vermin.  The  chapel, 
being  used  only  for  purposes  of  worship,  is  the 
cleanest  house  in  the  village.  During  the  mis- 
sionary's visit,  however,  it  is  generally  thronged 
from  morning  till  night  by  people  from  all 
the  region  about ;  some  wanting  medicine,  some 
counsel,  some  sympathy,  some  encouragement, 
while    the    great    mass   are   a    curious    gaping 


184  TKE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

crowd  of  heathen  men,  women,  and  children, 
who  must  be  talked  with  kindly,  their  strange 
irrelevant  questions  answered,  and  the  gospel 
preached  to  them  in  all  faithfulness. 

On  these  tours  Mrs.  Vinton  was  often 
obliged  to  settle  questions  upon  church  disci- 
pline, and  disputes  between  church  members  ; 
and  even  questions  of  law,  in  the  absence  of 
courts,  were  submitted  to  her  for  her  judgment 
and  decision.  In  these  latter  cases  she  called  the 
witnesses  before  her,  and,  having  heard  all  the 
testimony  on  both  sides,  gave  her  decision;  and 
from  her  opinion  there  never  was  any  appeal. 
Her  sound  sense  and  thorough  knowledge  of 
native  character  were  of  greater  assistance  to 
h^r  than  Blackstone,  or  Coke  upon  Littleton. 

During  the  day  she  remained  in  the  chapel, 
receiving  all  who  came  to  her.  In  the  evening, 
as  scon  as  the  sun  was  down,  she  was  out  visit- 
ing from  house  to  house,  ministering  to  the 
sick  and  aged,  and  urging  the  claims  of  religion 
upon  the  few  who  were  too  proud  or  indifferent 
to  come  to  see  her.  Making  the  chapel  in  the 
Christian  village  her  head-quarters,  she  visited 
other  villages  in  the  neighborhood,  sometimes 
walking  over  in  the  morning  and  returning  in 
the  evening,  or  occasionally  going  after  sunset 


A    KAREN    CHAPEL. 


85 


MRS.    INGALLS.  1 8/ 

and  returning  by  moonlight.  In  these  walks 
she  was  always  accompanied  by  the  native  pas- 
tor and  a  number  of  the  Christian  disciples,  who 
went  with  her,  not  only  to  second  her  efforts, 
but  to  show  the  heathen  that  they  honored 
their  teacher. 

In  their  desire  to  make  this  manifest,  they 
sometimes  went  to  an  extent  that  Mrs.  Vinton 
would  not  have  sanctioned,  had  she  been  con- 
sulted before  hand  ;  and  yet  it  was  so  evidently 
the  natural  outburst  of  a  wish  to  show  to  the 
world  how  much  they  loved  her,  and  how  much 
they  wished  to  honor  her,  that  she  could  not 
find  it  in  her  heart  to  reprove  them. 

As  an  example  of  their  method  of  showing 
their  appreciation,  one  instance  will  suffice.  It 
furnished  a  great  deal  of  amusement  to  the 
excellent  Mrs.  Ingalls,  who  happened  to  witness 
it.  She  was  travelling  among  the  Burman 
villages  in  her  field  ;  and  hearing  that  Mrs.  Vin- 
ton was  in  the  neighborhood,  she  went  to  the 
Karen  village  to  enjoy  one  of  those  rare  oppor- 
tunities for  Christian  intercourse,  and  the  inter- 
change of  sympathy  and  thought,  which  come 
so  seldom  to  the  worn  and  pre-occupied  mis- 
sionary. 

The  day  passed  in  this  delightful  communion  ; 


l88  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

and,  as  night  drew  nigh,  Mrs.  Ingalls  prepared 
to  take  her  departure,  when  Mrs.  Vinton  told 
her  that  the  next  morning  a  company  of 
Karens  were  coming  to  take  her  to  a  village 
ten  miles  distant,  to  spend  a  few  days  in  Chris- 
tian work. 

"Why,"  said  Mrs.  Ingalls,  ''you  will  pass  a 
village  which  I  very  much  wish  to  visit." 

"Stay  with  me  all  night  then,  and  we  will 
take  you  to  your  destination  in  the  morning," 
said  Mrs.  Vinton. 

Every  thing  was  prepared  for  leaving  the  vil- 
lage by  daybreak,  in  order  to  avoid  exposure  to 
the  intense  heat ;  and  then,  as  soon  as  the 
chapel  was  cleared  of  the  mingled  crowd  of 
Karens  and  Burmans,  the  two  missionaries  re- 
tired to  rest. 

It  was  a  bright  moonlight  night ;  and  about 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning  they  were  awakened 
by  the  sound  of  distant  gongs,  the  jingle  of 
bells,  and  the  shrill  notes  of  native  flutes. 
While  they  were  wondering  what  it  might 
mean,  and  vainly  trying  to  compose  themselves 
again  to  sleep,  the  noise  drew  nearer  and 
nearer,  and  at  last  ceased  just  before  the 
chapel.  Then  voices  were  heard,  "  We  have 
come  for  the  mamma.     Is  she   ready  to  go .? " 


THE    ESCORT.  1 89 

In  a  few  moments  all  was  bustle  and  confusion. 
A  dozen  fires  were  kindled,  and  a  dozen  rice- 
pots  set  on  to  boil,  in  preparation  for  feasting 
the  crowd  who  had  "Come  for  the  mamma;", 
and  then  the  **  Kalah  cook  "  was  hustled  out  of 
his  sleepy  corner  by  an  officious  native,  and 
told  to  get  ready  a  cup  of  tea  and  some  fried 
duck's  eggs  for  the  mamma,  before  she  should 
start. 

Sleep  was  out  of  the  question,  even  if  it  had 
not  been  for  a  gentle  voice  outside  the  curtain 
saying,  "  We  will  be  ready  to  put  mamma's  bed 
and  pahs  into  the  cart  as  soon  as  she  has  risen. "^ 

Another  inducement  was  not  wanting  to 
rouse  Mrs.  Vinton  from  slumber.  Mrs.  Ingalls 
had  her  by  the  shoulder,  and  was  alternately 
shaking  her,  and  stopping  to  give  vent  to  her 
hearty  and  mirth-inspiring  laugh  as  she  said, 
**  Get  up !  We  are  going  to  ride  in  state  this 
morning."  Then  she  would  run,  and  peep 
through  the  cracks  in  the  chapel  wall,  and  come 
back  with  fresh  accounts  each  time  of  the  num- 
ber of  carts  standing  in  the  moonlit  space  in 
front  of  the  chapel,  of  the  gay  dresses  of  the 
young  men  and  women  who  had  come  as  escort, 

*  Native  etiquette  requires  that  in  speaking  to  an  older  per- 
sor.,  or  superior,  the  third  person  should  be  used. 


190  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

and  finally  of  the  astounding  fact  that  in  some 
way  oxen,  instead  of  buffaloes,  had  been  pro- 
cured to  draw  two  of  the  carts.  This  latter 
feature  added  as  much  dignity  to  the  occasion 
as  the  substitution  of  Arab  steeds  for  omnibus 
horses  would  do  in  this  country.  All  who  have 
ever  been  fortunate  enough  to  meet  this  noble 
woman,  Mrs.  Ingalls,  who  owes  much  of  her 
success  to  her  joyous,  merry  disposition,  which 
was  now  bubbling  over  at  the  oddity  and  weird- 
ness  of  this  whole  proceeding,  can  imagine 
that  in  another  minute  Mrs.  Vinton  was  laugh- 
ing as  heartily  as  Mrs.  Ingalls,  while  they 
dressed  themselves,  and  proceeded  to  take  their 
room  to  pieces  and  finish  the  packing  of  their 
scanty  luggage. 

By  the  time  the  Karens  had  eaten  their  rice, 
the  ladies  had  taken  a  cup  of  tea  and  some 
bread,  and  all  was  ready  for  the  start.  The 
carts  had  been  filled  with  clean  rice-straw ;  and, 
in  the  handsomest  one,  Mrs.  Vinton's  mattress 
had  been  placed  to  serve  as  a  seat,  while  the 
pahs  and  other  luggage  had  been  placed  in 
another. 

The  procession  then  took  up  its  march. 
First  came  a  company  of  young  men,  two  of 
them  beating  gongs.     Then  came  the  cart  con- 


A    BUFFALO-CART. 


191 


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TRAVELLING    IN    STATE.  1 93 

taining  Mrs.  Vinton  and  Mrs.  Ingalls.  It  was 
drawn  by  two  of  the  sleekest  oxen,  with  bells 
strung  around  their  necks  on  a  broad  band  of 
red  cloth.  By  its  side  walked  young  men  and 
maidens  in  holiday  attire.  Then  came  another 
company  of  men  and  women  ;  then  the  next 
cart ;  and  so  on  until  the  procession  ended  in  a 
mixed  assembly,  who  had  somehow  imbibed  the 
idea  that  the  larger  the  escort,  the  more  the 
heathen  would  be  impressed  with  the  dignity 
of  the  Christian  religion. 

Mrs.  Ingalls  seemed  as  much  impressed  as 
the  heathen  could  have  been,  not  with  the  dig- 
nity of  religion,  which,  indeed,  needed  no  such 
outward  show,  but  with  the  love  and  devotion 
manifested  toward  the  teacher  who  had  sacri- 
ficed so  much  for  them.  She  enlivened  the 
long,  slow  ride  with  her  merry  comments  on 
the  extra  carving  bestowed  upon  their  cart,  on 
the  gay  trappings  of  the  sober  oxen,  the  delights 
of  riding  by  moonlight  to  the  inspiring  strains 
of  music,  and  the  honor  of  being  attended  to 
their  destination  by  such  an  escort,  with  now 
and  then  a  witty  thrust  at  the  Burmans  who 
accompanied  the  party,  which  kept  all  in  a  roar 
of  laughter. 

"  See  !  "  she  would  say,  "  see  how  the  Karens 


194  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

treat  their  mamma.  If  she  wants  to  go  any 
where  they  come  after  her  in  carts,  and  such 
carts  !  Drawn  by  oxen  too,  all  trimmed  up  with 
red  belts  and  streamers  and  bells.  And  then, 
as  if  that  were  not  enough,  all  these  handsome 
young  men  and  women  to  keep  her  company,  and 
show  the  people  that  they  love  their  mamma  ! 
Oh,  it  almost  makes  me  wish  1  were  a  Karen 
missionary  !  When  I  wish  to  go  anywhere,  I 
have  to  walk  ;  and  if  I  can  find  two  or  three 
disciples  to  go  with  me,  and  show  me  the  way, 
I  think  myself  fortunate.  But  never  mind  :  now 
I  am  with  Mamma  Vinton,  and  share  in  her 
honors  and  her  privileges.  The  Burmans  will 
learn  by  and  by." 

Soon  the  morning  dawned  over  the  broad 
paddy-plains,  and  they  began  to  meet  compa- 
nies of  Karens  and  Burmans  going  forth  to  their 
work.  Whenever  they  met  a  party  of  Burmans, 
or  passed  through  a  Burman  village,  Mrs.  Ingalls 
would  call  out  to  them  in  a  cheery  voice,  while 
her  eye  danced  with  merriment,  "  Look  !  see 
how  the  Karen  mamma  travels.  Is  not  this 
grand  ?  Do  you  hear  the  gongs  ?  Do  you  see 
all  this  display  ?  The  Karens  come  forth  to 
meet  their  mammgi  with  the  honor  she  deserves. 
After  this  I  shall  expect  to  have  the  Burmans 


THE    BURMANS    AND    MRS.    INGALLS.  I95 

treat  me  so.  I,  too,  shall  ride  in  a  handsome 
cart,  drawn  by  sleek  oxen,  with  music  and 
bells." 

The  Burmans,  who  loved  Mrs.  Ingalls  as 
much  as  the  Karens  did  Mrs.  Vinton,  although 
they  were  not  yet  so  ready  to  show  it,  nodded 
laughingly  at  her  bantering  tone,  and  said  **  Yes, 
yes  !  the  mamma  shall  not  walk  any  more.  She 
shall  ride  as  well  as  the  Karen  mamma." 


196  TJIE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

"  'Tis  first  the  good  and  then  the  beautiful, 
Not  first  the  beautiful  and  then  the  good ; 
First  the  wild  moor,  with  rock  and  reed  and  pool, 
Then  the  flower-blossom  or  the  branching  wood." 

However,  jungle  travel  was  not  a  continued 
picnic  or  triumphal  procession.  It  had  its  dark 
side  as  well  as  its  light.  Sleeping  in  a  boat 
amid  the  fever-laden  fogs  of  the  river,  or  in  an 
open  chapel,  with  nothing  but  a  single  thick- 
ness of  cloth  between  her  and  **  all  out  doors  ; " 
waking  in  the  night  to  find  a  centipede  or 
snake  coiled  up  in  bed  by  her  side  ;  riding  after 
runaway  buffaloes,  and  then  reaching  a  village 
only  to  talk  until  she  was  hoarse,  to  hearers  who 
would  continually  interrupt  her  with  the  most 
irrelevant  questions  concerning  the  whiteness 
of  her  skin,  the  size  of  her  nose,  or  the  manner 
of  her  dress,  —  all  these  were  no  holiday  experi- 
ences, and  yet  she  rarely  spoke  of  these  things. 
Her  accounts  of  her  journeys  were  always  filled 
with  stories  of  the  kindness  shown  her  by  the 


MILKING    A    EUFFALO.  IQ/ 

Christians  ;  of  the  number  of  bright  children 
who  were  ready  to  come  into  the  village  or  city 
schools  ;  of  the  way  the  affectionate  and  grate- 
ful people  had  loaded  her  boat  down  with  rice, 
chickens,  plantains,  &c.  ;  and,  above  all,  of  the 
numbers  who  had  been  baptized. 

The  Karens  showed  their  desire  to  gratify 
her  in  even  trifling  things  ;  and  some  amusing 
scenes  occurred  from  their  attempts  to  furnish 
her  with  such  little  luxuries  as  were  obtainable 
in  the  jungle. 

For  instance,  it  was  very  difficult  to  obtain 
milk,  even  in  quantities  sufficient  for  the  morn- 
ing cup  of  coffee  or  the  noonday  cup  of  tea. 
The  natives  were  not  in  the  habit  of  using  milk 
in  any  form,  and  of  course  the  buffalo-cows 
were  not  accustomed  to  being  milked.  Know- 
ing this,  Mrs.  Vinton  seldom  expected  to  get 
any  milk  outside  of  the  city;  but  not  unfre- 
quently  it  would  happen,  that,  learning  her 
fondness  for  it,  the  Karens  would  search  among 
their  herds  until  they  found  a  buffalo  cow  with 
a  young  calf. 

The  unfortunate  youngster  then  soon  found 
himself  tied  to  a  stout  post  for  the  night,  far 
from  his  anxious  parent.  Next  morning  the 
fun,    or    the    trouble,    began.     The    calf    was 


198  THE    ViNTONS    Ax\D    THE    KARENS. 

brought  and  tied  near  the  mother  ;  and  then  a 
group  of  ten  or  twenty  staUvart  young  men 
surrounded  the  cow.  A  rope,  secured  to  her 
neck,  was  twisted  round  a  post,  and  the  end 
held  by  a  Karen.  Two  or  three  men  seized  the 
massive  horns.  Another  rope  was  cautiously 
passed  around  the  creature's  hind-legs,  and 
either  secured  to  a  post,  or  held  by  Karens. 
The  remainder  of  the  crowd  stood  round,  ready 
for  any  sudden  emergency. 

Then  one  daring  Karen,  who  was  as  unused 
to  milking  as  the  poor  buffalo  was  to  being 
milked,  drew  near,  with  a  betel-box  coverin  his 
hand,  to  receive  the  rich  creamy  fluid ;  but  at 
the  first  touch  of  his  hand  —  *' Whoosh!"  —  a 
kick,  a  snort,  and  a  series  of  plunges,  and  every- 
thing had  broken  loose,  and  chaos  seemed  to 
have  come  again.  The  "  tying-up  "  process  was 
gone  over  again  patiently,  and  more  thoroughly; 
and  with  a  firm  look,  but  trembling  hand,  the 
dauntless  Karen  returned  to  the  attack,  while 
the  by-standers  seized  every  "objective  point" 
of  the  animal.  Perhaps  the  milker  succeeded 
this  time  in  securing  a  few  spoonfuls  of  milk, 
while  the  now  frantic  animal  kicked  and  plunged 
with  all  her  might.  Then  active  hostilities 
would  cease  for  a  time,  to  allow  both  parties  to 


**EXPERIENTIA    DOCET."  I99 

recruit  their  exhausted  energies.  Generally, 
during  the  next  skirmish,  the  betel-box  would 
be  kicked  out  of  the  milker's  hand,  and  stepped 
upon. 

''Experientia  docet ;  "  and  one  more  wise  than 
the  rest  would  suggest  that  the  milk,  as  fast  as 
obtained,  should  be  poured  into  another  recep- 
tacle, and  thus  secured  against  accident. 

The  amount  of  milk  obtained  in  this  way 
would  vary  from  half  a  cupful  to  a  quart,  or 
in  rare, cases  two  quarts,  according  to  the  kick- 
ing capacity  of  the  buffalo,  and  the  endurance 
of  the  Karens.  When  milked  into  a  clean  re- 
ceptacle (and  the  Karens  soon  learned  that  this 
was  a  desirable  little  item  to  the  mamma),  it 
was  a  great  treat  ;  for  it  was  rich  and  creamy, 
and,  if  boiled,  would  keep  for  several  days,  and 
furnish  cream  enough  to  make  a  little  pat  of 
an  ounce  or  two  of  butter.  The  cream,  by  the 
way,  is  churned  in  a  large-mouthed  quart  bottle, 
by  vigorously  shaking  it  until  butter  comes. 

Almost  every  missionary  can  furnish,  from 
his  own  experience,  scenes  similar  to  the  above. 
Mr.  Luther  on  one  occasion,  after  watching  the 
futile  attempts  of  a  party  of  Karens  to  get 
enough  milk  for  his  cup  of  coffee,  offered  to 
"  show  them  how  to  milk."     It  happened  that, 


200  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

as  the  buffalo-cow  had  proved  unusually  refrac- 
tory, the  calf  had  been  led  up,  to  persuade  the 
mother  to  "give  down."  It  was  quietly  enjoy- 
ing its  long-deferred  breakfast,  and  trying  to 
make  up  for  lost  time,  when  it  caught  sight  of 
the  approaching  missionary.  With  a  whoop 
and  a  bellow,  which  rang  through  the  village 
like  the  sound  of  a  trumpet,  it  backed  over  the 
Karen  who  was  holding  it,  and  started  for  the 
jungle.  The  mother  turned  to  look  for  her 
vanishing  offspring,  ''which  was  not  wont  so  to 
do,"  when  she,  too,  caught  sight  of  the  mission- 
ary ;  and,  overturning  the  dozen  or  more  Karens 
who  were  holding  her,  she  disappeared  in  a 
cloud  of  dust. 

The  intense  dislike  which  both  Karens  and 
Burmans  have  for  milk,  butter,  and  cheese,  is 
not  easily  accounted  for.  When  we  consider 
the  fact  that  some  of  them  eat  monkeys  and 
snakes  ;  that  many  will  eat  the  flesh  of  an 
animal  which  died  of  disease  ;  that  the  honey 
which  they  use  is  generally  mixed  with  brood- 
comb,  containing  thousands  of  young  bees, 
which,  in  the  native  estimation,  adds  greatly  to 
the  flavor  ;  that  the  white-ant  queen,  —  a  pulpy 
mass  two  inches  long,  resembling  an  enormous 
white   grub,  —  and   the   palm-worm,    which   is 


FERMENTED    FISH.  201 

about  the  same  size  and  of  similar  appearance, 
are  regarded  as  special  delicacies, — we  cannot 
but  wonder  that  a  cup  of  pure  fresh  milk,  or  a 
roll  of  delicious  butter,  is  regarded  by  them  with 
such  infinite  disgust.^ 

The  articles  enumerated  above  by  no  means 
cover  the  list  of  dietary  peculiarities  among  the 
Karens.  Of  this  people,  it  must  in  truth  be 
said,  ''De  giistibus  non  est  disputandumy  Their 
attachment  to  Nya-eic  (fermented  fish)  is  as  ex- 
traordinary as  it  is  universal  and  undying.  This 
article  forms  a  part  of  every  curry :  it  is  boiled 
with  vegetables,  it  is  fried  and  eaten  with  rice ; 
in  fact,  it  seems  as  necessary  to  a  native  as  the 
very  air  he  breathes.  To  appreciate  this  deli- 
cacy, it  is  needful  to  know  how  it  is  prepared. 
To  the  new  missionary,  however,  all  that  is 
necessary  is  for  him  to  get  one  whiff  of  its  pow- 
erful odor,  to  make  him  utterly  indifferent  to  its 
mode  of  preparation,  and  only  anxious  to  put 
space  between  him  and  the  jar  containing  it. 

The  fish  are  caught  by  placing  huge  nets 
across  the  streams.  They  are  then  spread 
out  in  the  hot  sun  until  they  have  reached  a 
decided    state  of   fermentation.     Salt  and  pep- 

*  The  natives  are  now,  however,  gradually  overcoming  this 
prejudice,  and  are  learning  to  like  milk,  or  at  least  tolerate  it. 


202  THE   VINTONS   AND   THE   KARENS. 

per,  and  frequently  a  species  of  clay,  are  mixed 
with  the  fragrant  mass  ;  and  thenceforward  it 
stands  prepared  to  delight  the  palate  of  every 
Karen  or  Burman,  in  any  form  of  cookery. 
Almost  every  returned  missionary  has  heard 
the  question  asked,  **  Why  cannot  the  mission- 
aries live  as  the  natives  do .''  It  would  be  such 
a  saving  of  expense.  Why  must  they  have  a 
cook  to  prepare  their  meals  separately  ?  Do 
they  feel  themselves  too  good  to  eat  food  pre- 
pared by  the  natives  for  their  own  use  ? " 

Argument  and  explanation  are  not  always 
satisfactory ;  but  Rev.  Mr.  Bunker  brought 
home  with  him  recently  an  unanswerable  reply 
to  these  questions.  It  is  a  small  jar  of  this 
fish,  just  as  the  natives  use  it.  To  such  "  vain 
questionings"  he  replies  by  uncorking  the  jar, 
and  offering  it  to  the  inquisitive  friend  for  a 
smell.  It  is  the  most  convincing  statement  of 
the  subject  which  can  be  imagined.  To  tell 
one  of  these  fault-finders  that  not  a  Karen 
knows  how  to  prepare  a  single  article  which 
the  missionary  can  eat  except  plain  boiled  rice, 
ought  to  be  enough ;  but,  if  it  is  not,  Mr. 
Bunker's  little  jar,  with  the  information  that 
**some  of  that"  goes  into  every  dish  prepared 
by  the  Karens,  will  convince  the  most  skeptical. 


FOOLISH    QUESTIONS.  203 

Not  only  are  foolish  questions  asked  with 
regard  to  food,  but  the  matter  of  clothing  often 
troubles  the  minds  of  some  of  the  ''economical" 
friends  of  missions.  A  gentleman  just  returned 
from  the  mission  field  was  once  asked  by  a  lady, 
"  Why  do  you  not  live  as  the  natives  do  ?  Eat 
as  they  eat,  and  dress  as  they  dress  ?  If  you  did, 
the  missionaries  would  not  require  half  as  large 
salaries.     Why  this  waste  ?  " 

The  missionary  answered,  "  Madam,  would 
you  have  our  wives  and  children  dress  as  the 
natives  do  ?  "  "  Certainly  if  they  are  not  too 
proud,''  was  the  reply. 

**  Well,  Madam,"  he  said,  as  he  looked  her 
steadily  in  the  face,  "  perhaps  you  would.  A 
large  proportion  of  the  middle-aged  women  when 
about  their  daily  work,  wear  nothing  whatever 
above  the  waist,  and  only  a  single  garment  be- 
low ;  and  the  children  run  perfectly  nude  until 
ten  or  twelve  years  of  age.  Such  a  revolution  in 
dress  would  make  quite  a  saving  in  the  item  of 
missionary  expenditure  of  the  Missionary  Union 
and  the  Woman's  Missionary  Society,  if  you  can 
induce  them  to  recommend  it,  and  the  mission- 
aries to  adopt  it." 

She  made  no  reply,  but  doubtless  resolved 
for  the  future  to  think  before  she  spoke. 


204  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

We  have  often  heard  as  hasty  criticisms  up- 
on the  fact  that  the  missionary  ladies  do  not  do 
their  own  house-work  ;  and  it  has  been  plainly 
intimated  that  the  reason  is,  that  the  strong 
sensible  young  woman,  who,  from  her  child- 
hood has  practised  all  the  various  arts  of  house- 
keeping, from  the  splitting  of  kindlings,  and 
wiping  dishes,  to  the  preparation  of  an  elaborate 
dinner,  has  undergone  such  a  transformation, 
such  an  "  upUfting,"  on  the  voyage  to  India, 
that  by  the  time  she  reaches  there,  she  is  too 
proud  to  do  her  own  house-work. 

It  would  do  some  of  our  New  England  house- 
keepers good  to  be  set  down  in  one  of  our  mis- 
sionary cook-houses,  and  told  to  prepare  a 
dinner.  **  Where  is  my  stove  .-^ "  is  the  first 
anxious  query } 

"My  good  friend,  there  is  not  a  stove  within 
a  thousand  miles.  Those  little  fires  on  the 
ground,  with  the  iron  tripods  over  them,  are 
your  substitute  for  a  stove." 

''But  where  is  the  chimney  }  I  cannot  cook 
where  the  smoke  blows  into  my  eyes  so ! " 

"There  is  no  chimney,  my  friend.  You  must 
keep  to  windward  of  your  fires,  and  let  the 
smoke  go  out  at  the  openings  between  the  roof 
an4  the  low  wals." 


HOUSEKEEPING    UNDER   DIFFICULTIES.       20$ 

"But  where   is  my  sink?  my  hot   and   cold 

water  faucets  ?  my  cistern-water  ?  my "  — 

"  Gently,  gently,  not  so  fast,"  responds  the  good 
genius  of  the  place  ;  and  leading  her  to  the  door, 
he  points  to  several  large  jars  of  water  standing 
on  the  ground  near  by.  "There  is  your  sink. 
Hot  water  can  be  supplied  by  your  tea-kettle. 
The  cold  water  you  can  bring  from  the  well 
only  about  a  hundred  yards  away." 

"But  I  don't  see  any  well  or  any  pump." 

"  True,  the  well  is  only  a  deep  pit,  and  it  is  at 
the  foot  of  that  hill ;  but  this  bucket  and  rope 
are  an  excellent  substitute  for  a  pump.  Be 
careful  not  to  slip  into  the  well,  for  it  has  no 
curb." 

"But  I  cannot  use  such  water  as  that:  it  is 
thick  with  mud  !  " 

"  True  :  but  you  must  filter  what  you  wish  for 
the  table  ;  and,  if  you  let  the  water  stand  for  half 
a  day,  a  good  portion  of  the  mud  will  settle." 

"Where  are  my  pantry  —  my  dish  closet  — 
my  store  room  ?  "  she  asks,  as  the  shade  deepens 
on  her  face,  and  the  sun  glares  hotter  and  hotter 
out  of  doors. 

"All  those  you  will  find  at  the  house,  only 
forty  or  fifty  yards  away.  The  danger  from  fire 
is  so  great  in  the  dry  season,  that  the  cook-house 
is  often  built  farther  away  than  this." 


206  THE    VINTONS   AND    THE    KARENS. 

*'  I  don't  see  any  oven,"  is  the  next  complaint. 
Upon  this  she  is  pointed  to  the  large  earthen 
jar  half  filled  with  sand,  and  told  that  if  she 
builds  a  fire  under  it,  and  places  a  sheet  of  iron 
covered  with  hot  coals  over  the  mouth,  she  can 
in  time  learn  to  bake  pretty  well  with  that ;  or, 
if  she  prefers,  she  can  have  an  old-fashioned 
brick  oven  built. 

"Where  am  I  to  wash  my  dishes  and  clean 
my  lamps  ?  "  she  asks. 

"  At  the  house  you  will  find  a  shelf  projecting 
from  the  veranda,  on  which  are  two  earthen- 
ware pans,  in  which  you  can  wash  dishes. 
When  you  wish  hot  water,  you  can  bring  your 
tea-kettle  up  from  the  cook-house." 

"Where  am  I  to  mould  my  bread  and  make 
my  pies  ?  " 

"  You  can  make  your  pies  up  at  the  house,  on 
any  convenient  table.  As  for  bread,  you  will 
have  to  buy  it ;  for  the  only  yeast  to  be  had  is 
made  from  the  juice  of  the  toddy-palm,  and  that 
requires  a  government  permit  to  obtain  it.  As 
the  application  must  be  made  through  your  ma- 
gistrate, and  may  take  five  or  six  days  before  you 
obtain  the  permit,  you  will  find  that  it  is  better 
to  buy  your  bread  from  the  natives,  who  have 
bought  yearly  permits  to  gather  the  juice  and 


MORE   DIFFICULTIES.  20/ 

make  the  yeast.  Besides,  you  will  find,  that,  if 
you  try  to  keep  flour  in  the  house,  it  will  soon 
be  swarming  with  worms,  and  will  probably 
become  useless  before  you  can  use  up  a  barrel." 

The  poor  woman  thinks  of  her  mother's  large, 
airy  kitchen,  with  its  clean  floor,  its  shining 
stove,  the  sink  with  hot  and  cold  water  to  be 
had  at  the  turning  of  a  faucet,  the  endless  ar- 
ray of  pots,  sauce-pans,  griddles,  kettles,  tinware, 
earthen-ware,  dippers,  strainers,  toasters,  graters, 
sifters,  steamers,  egg-beaters,  and  other  uten- 
sils ;  and  she  gently  suggests,  that,  in  the  bracing 
climate  of  New  England,  house-work  with  all 
these  labor-saving  implements  is  no  child's  play  ; 
and  that,  unless  she  can  have  better  tools  to 
work  with,  she  fears  she  will  have  to  hire  one 
of  the  dozen  strong  men  who  are  at  her  elbow, 
each  one  begging  for  the  chance  to  do  all  her 
cookinc:,  washino:  dishes,  &c.,  for  the  modest 
sum  of  a  dollar  and  a  half  a  week,  and  he  will 
board  and  clothe  himself. 

The  hitherto  patient  genius  frowns  and  says, 
"  You  are  above  your  position  !  What  are  you 
more  than  your  sisters  in  America,  that  you  can- 
not do  your  own  house-work  ?  " 

'*  But  circumstances  alter  cases,"  she  suggests. 
"  Here  I  have  nothing  but  a  tea-kettle,  a  couple 


208  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

of  frying-pans,  and  two  or  three  earthen  jars, 
and  a  fire  on  the  ground.  I  can  never  learn  to 
cook  with  these  ;  and  besides,  in  this  hot  climate 
how  long  do  you  think  I  would  last,  trotting 
through  the  hot  sun  to  draw  water  from  a  well 
a  hundred  yards  away,  crouching  over  these 
smoky  fires  with  the  thermometer  at  a  hundred 
degrees  in  the  shade,  and  running  back  and 
forth  from  the  house  every  time  I  want  a  dish 
or  an  article  from  my  store-room." 

"Well,"  is  the  reply  a  little  severely,  *' proba- 
bly you  would  not  live  more  than  a  year  or  two  ; 
but  then,  on  your  gravestone  could  be  inscribed, 
'The  victim  of  Economy  and  Humility.'  And 
the  dollar  and  a  half  per  week  saved  could  be 
devoted  to  making  up  to  your  husband  and 
children  for  your  loss,  and  in  re-imbursing  the 
Missionary  Union  for  your  outfit  and  passage 
money." 

After  all,  this  is  only  a  very  low  view  to  take 
of  this  much  vexed  question.  There  is  a  yet 
higher  principle  involved,  but  it  is  apparent 
only  to  those  who  are  capable  of  taking  a  broad 
and  comprehensive  view  of  Christian  duty.  It 
should  be  the  aim  of  every  faithful  laborer  to  do, 
not  necessarily  **the  next  thing,"  as  some  writer 
puts    it,  which    may  be  something  very  paltry 


THE    SOLUTION.  2O9 

and  unnecessary,  but  when  a  selection  must  be 
made  from  a  mass  of  things,  to  do  what,  under 
God,  will  most  conduce  to  his  glory,  and  the 
eternal  good  of  souls.  Washing  dishes  or  do- 
ing house-work  may  be,  and  often  is,  a  means  of 
serving  God,  and  in  many  cases  a  Christian 
duty ;  but  if  allowed  to  stand  in  the  way  of  a 
call  to  the  performance  of  a  duty  of  a  higher 
nature,  the  salvation  of  a  soul,  or  the  teaching 
of  one  ignorant  of  God,  such  an  absorption  in 
the  "much  serving"  merits  and  receives  the 
Master's  rebuke. 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  explain,  to  those 
who  all  their  lives  have  been  accustomed  to  the 
division  of  labor  which  prevails  in  this  coun- 
try, the  multitudinous  cares  which  crowd  upon 
the  foreign  missionary  every  day,  until  his 
chief  thought  becomes,  "  How  can  I  make  one 
pair  of  hands  do  the  work  of  ten  ? "  The  in- 
ventor who  takes  some  unsightly  lumps  of  iron 
and  steel,  and  makes  a  machine  which  will 
lighten  his  own  or  other's  labor,  is  not  necessa- 
rily a  lazy  man  ;  nor  is  the  machinist  who  takes 
an  awkward,  ignorant  youth,  and,  by  patient 
teaching,  transforms  him  into  a  skilled  work- 
man, necessarily  "  above  his  work."  We  call 
such   men  benefactors ;  but  when,  on  the  mis- 


210  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

sion  field,  a  skilled  workman  for  God  teaches  a 
native  lad  how  to  black  his  boots  or  groom  his 
pony,  in  order  that  he,  the  missionary,  may 
have  time  to  devote  to  the  translation  of  the 
Bible  into  the  boy's  native  tongue,  —  a  work 
which  will  not  only  benefit  the  lad,  but  millions 
of  his  countrymen,  —  what  an  outcry  do  we 
hear  because  the  missionary  is  too  proud  to 
black  his  own  boots  ! 

Imagine  one  Christian  minister  and  his  wife 
placed  in  Boston,  and  consider  them  as  the  sole 
representatives  of  the  Christian  religion  in  East- 
ern Massachusetts.  Wipe  out  the  State  Con- 
vention, the  Sunday  School  Union,  the  city 
missions,  the  public  and  private  schools,  the 
libraries,  and  the  book-stores.  Drive  every  edu- 
cated man  and  woman  from  the  State,  and  leave 
in  their  places  a  mass  of  ignorant  and  depraved 
creatures,  who  have  every  thing  to  learn  which 
is  worth  knowing,  and  only  the  aforesaid  minis- 
ter and  his  wife  to  teach  them.  The  minister, 
by  the  way,  is  a  foreigner.  The  gospel  must 
be  preached,  and  a  foreign  language  learned 
in  which  to  preach  it ;  and,  before  public  wor- 
ship can  be  established,  portions  of  the  Bible 
must  be  translated  and  hymns  prepared.  Calls 
come  from  all   parts  of  the   State   for   a  visit 


211 


from  the  overburdened  preacher,  who  feels  that 
the  masses  of  one  city  are  more  than  he  alone 
can  preach  to,  while  actit.g  the  part  of  trans- 
lator, physician,  and  druggist  for  the  entire 
community. 

A  hasty  visit  to  Springfield,  Fitchburg,  Wor- 
cester, and  Lawrence,  results  in  the  conversion 
of  over  a  hundred  souls.  These  he  must  bap- 
tize, and  organize  into  churches ;  and  there  he 
is,  without  a  Bible  or  a  catechism  to  give  them, 
not  a  pastor  nor  a  school-teacher  to  send  them, 
and  all  the  powers  of  hell  combined  to  draw 
away  the  weak,  ignorant  believers  from  their 
new-found  hope.  He  hastens  home  to  urge  his 
wife  to  put  out  her  washing,  and  take  the  time 
to  teach  a  few  children  to  read ;  and  he  asks 
her  if  she  cannot  find  time  to  give  them  a  little 
Bible  instruction  each  day,  so  that  when  a  por- 
tion of  the  New  Testament  is  translated,  a 
catechism  translated,  a  spelling-book  prepared, 
and  an  elementary  arithmetic  and  a  geography 
through  the  press,  which  will  soon  be  sent  him 
from  China,  these  wild,  ignorant  children  shall 
be  able  to  take  these  books,  and  return  to  their 
homes  as  teachers,  and,  if  converted  (as  he 
trusts  they  may  be),  as  preachers.  As  he  rides 
along  in  his  ox-cart,  he  sighs  as  he  remembers 


212  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

that  years  must  elapse  before  all  this  can  be 
accomplished ;  but  it  never  will  be  done  unless 
it  is  begun.  So  he  mentally  resolves  to  give 
up  the  notion  which  he  has  had,  that  no  one 
can  iron  his  shirts  or  his  white  neckties  quite 
as  nicely  as  his  wife,  and  allow  her  to  hand 
over  this  department  of  her  work  to  one  of 
the  numerous  laundrymen  of  Boston.  When 
he  reaches  home,  he  finds  his  wife  engaged 
in  the  sad  duty  of  preparing  for  burial  the 
body  of  a  woman  who  has  just  died  of  chol- 
era, and  whose  friends  and  neighbors  have  all 
fled  and  left  her  to  her  fate.  His  wife  left 
her  own  children  to  the  care  of  some  young 
girls  next  door,  while  she  went  and  sat  by 
the  side  of  the  suffering,  dying  creature ;  and 
not  only  smoothed  her  pathway  to  the  grave, 
but  turned  her  dying  eyes  to  the  Lamb  of  God, 
who  alone  could  take  away  her  sin  ;  and  she  had 
the  joy  of  seeing  her  depart  in  the  triumphs  of 
faith.  The  dying  woman  with  her  latest  breath 
besought  the  missionary's  wife  to  take  her  four 
little  ones  to  train  up  for  God ;  and  faithfully 
must  the  solemn  trust  be  fulfilled. 

She  cheerfully  acquiesces  in  her  husband's 
plan  ;  and  the  four  children,  after  being  washed 
and  clothed  in  new,  clean  garments  (which  she 


"  TOO    PROUD.  213 

must  make  herself),  are  added  to  those  whom  her 
husband  has  brought  in  from  the  country  ;  and 
she  still  tries  to  go  on  with  their  instruction,  in 
addition  to  all  her  other  cares  and  duties,  visiting 
the  sick  in  the  neighborhood,  and  entertaining 
the  scores  of  men  and  women  who  come  in  every 
day.  Her  school  rapidly  increases ;  and  now  num- 
bers of  the  idle,  vagrant  children,  who  formerly 
spent  their  time  in  the  streets,  are  found  in  her 
back  parlor,  learning  of  Jesus.  They  are  dirty 
and  filthy  in  the  extreme  ;  and  they  have  so  much 
vermin  in  their  hair  and  clothing  that  the 
patient  teacher  is  compelled  in  self-defence  to 
do  something  to  prevent  her  house  from  be- 
coming unendurable  to  herself  and  her  family. 
This  woman,  who,  according  to  some  of  her 
would-be  critics,  is  "too  proud  to  do  her  own 
washing,"  shows  these  children  how  to  use  soap 
and  water,  and  with  her  own  hands  cuts  off  the 
matted  shock  of  hair,  immediately  burns  it,  and 
then  washes  the  running  sores  on  the  head,  ap- 
plying some  healing  ointment,  and  clothes  the 
children  in  garments  which  she  has  made  out  of 
material  for  which  ber  husband's  scanty  purse 
has  paid.  And  now  the  work  is  —  just  begun. 
The  children  are  sweet  and  clean  for  once  in 
their  lives  ;  but,  unless  a  reformation  is  wrought 


214  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

in  their  homes,  they  will  soon  be  in  the  same 
condition  in  which  they  were  before.  The  al- 
ready over-taxed  wife  and  mother  determines  to 
put  out  her  sewing,  and  get  a  girl  to  come  and 
help  in  the  care  of  her  own  little  ones,  so  that 
she  may  give  more  time  to  visiting  the  women 
at  their  homes,  and  teaching  them  how  to  keep 
their  houses  and  their  families  in  a  better  con- 
dition. She  goes  into  the  miserable  dens  and 
hovels,  lets  in  the  sunlight  and  fresh  air,  and 
tells  the  women  that  their  homes  would  be  more' 
presentable  and  their  families  healthier  if  they 
would  not  throw  all  the  refuse  matter  out  of  the 
doors  and  windows.  She  furnishes  them  soap, 
brooms,  wash-tubs,  combs,  needles,  and  thread, 
and  teaches  them  how  to  use  them  ;  and  still  the 
work  grows  on  her.  She  must  have  books  for 
her  pupils,  which  her  husband  has  not  time  to 
translate.  A  large  number  of  women  are  beg- 
ging her  to  allow  them  to  come  in  the  evenings, 
and  learn  to  sew,  and  to  read  God's  word. 
Deputations  come  in  daily  from  Chelsea,  from 
Newton,  from  Cambridge,  Waltham,  Woburn, 
and  Lynn,  inquiring  if  she  cannot  come  to  their 
homes,  and  teach  them  too.  People  are  dying 
all  around  her  for  the  lack  of  simple  remedies 
she  alone  possesses,  and  knows  how  to  use. 


THE   VOICE    OF  JESUS.  21$ 

Now,  suppose  she  still  plods  on  in  her  kitchen, 
baking,  broiling,  and  mopping,  because  she  can- 
not bear  to  give  up  all  her  home  duties.  Her 
conscience  goads  her  occasionally  as  she  meets 
professional  cooks  in  the  street,  who  would  be 
glad  to  do  this  work  for  a  mere  pittance  ;  and  she 
sometimes  wonders  whether  her  time  would  not 
be  better  spent  in  feeding  the  starving,  healing 
the  sick,  and  teaching  the  ignorant,  than  in 
watching  for  the  critical  moment  when  a  loaf  of 
cake  should  come  out  of  the  oven. 

She  takes  the  matter  to  God ;  and  in  her 
closet  she  seems  to  hear  the  voice  of  Jesus  say- 
ing, "  Go  out  into  the  highways  and  hedges  and 
compel  them  to  come  in,  that  my  house  may  be 
full."  Ah  !  she  knows  she  need  not  to  compel. 
Eager  faces  are  looking  into  hers,  and  crying, 
**  Come  over  and  help  us."  Helpless  women 
are  stretching  forth  their  hands  to  her  for  aid. 
Young  children  there  are,  whose  tender  feet 
need  but  a  little  guiding  to  lead  them  into  the 
"shining  way."  There  are  dying  ones  to  be 
pointed  to  Jesus,  bereaved  ones  to  be  comforted  ; 
and,  on  the  other  hand,  her  kitchen  duties. 
She  weighs  the  question  well,  and  let  us  hesitate 
to  pronounce  her  proud  if  she  decides,  that,  as 
the  only  woman  in  all  Massachusetts  who  can 


2l6  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

do  this  work  for  the  souls  and  bodies  of  her  suf- 
fering sisters,  while  there  are  hundreds  who  can 
do  her  cooking,  her  duty  lies  in  the  varied  direc- 
tions we  have  indicated,  and  that  she  must  give 
up  her  necessary  housework  for  the  no  less 
necessary  harvest-work  to  which  her  Master  has 
equally  called  her. 

It  is  difficult  to  speak  upon  this  subject  with- 
out being  gravely  misunderstood.  No  Christian 
woman  would  underrate  housework,  or  regard 
any  thing  which  tended  to  promote  the  comfort 
of  her  family  as  menial  or  unimportant ;  but 
let  not  the  women  to  whom  God  has  committed 
this  work  look  with  scorn  upon  the  women  to 
whom  he  has  committed  another  department  of 
labor.  So  long  as  we  do  not  stigmatize  as  proud 
the  public  school-teacher,  who  not  only  teaches 
all  day,  but  works  late  into  the  night  over  her 
examination  papers  and  reports,  or  the  skilful 
lady-physician  who  finds  her  days  too  short  to  at- 
tend to  all  the  calls  upon  her  time  and  services, 
because  neither  of  them  do  their  own  house- 
work, we  should  hesitate  to  criticise  our  lady 
missionaries,  who  combine  in  their  work,  not 
only  many  of  the  duties  of  these  two,  but  of 
half  a  dozen  others  beside.  As  has  been  before 
intimated,  ignorance  lies  at  the  foundation  of 


IGNORANCE.  21/ 

all  such  criticism  ;  but  it  is  time  that  the  hard- 
working women  of  America,  who  are  saving 
their  pennies  and  consecrating  their  dollars 
through  much  self-denial,  should  know  that 
their  sisters  on  the  foreign  fields  are  not  living 
lives  of  ease  and  indolence,  because  they  do  not 
do  their  own  housework,  or  stand  at  the  wash- 
tub.  They  have  to  penetrate  into  dens  and 
hovels  swarming  with  vermin,  and  grapple  with 
filth  and  disease  in  their  most  loathsome  form. 
They  must  needs  sit  patiently  for  hours  with 
crowds  around  them,  none  of  whom  are  too 
clean,  and  many  of  them  offensive  in  the  ex- 
treme, listening  to  their  complaints,  or  trying  to 
instil  into  their  darkened  and  brutalized  intel- 
lects a  drop  of  celestial  knowledge. 

Believe  me,  my  sisters,  as  one  who  has  tried 
it,  the  duties  of  a  clean  New-England  kitchen, 
with  the  fresh  bracing  air  coming  in  at  the  win- 
dows, are  often,  under  such  circumstances,  re- 
membered with  a  sigh  of  painful  longing. 

The  foregoing  may  seem  unnecessary  and 
uncalled  for.  Our  readers  may  say,  "  Every  one 
knows  that  a  missionary  cannot  be  occupied 
with  household  affairs  ; "  but  alas  !  every  one 
does  not  know.  Only  a  short  time  ago  an  in- 
telligent  lady,  who    supposed   herself   well  in- 


2l8  THE   VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

formed  upon  such  matters,  said  to  a  returned 
missionary,  "  In  my  opinion  the  reason  why 
missionaries  are  so  anxious  to  return  to  their 
field  of  labor,  is  because  they  live  in  such  lux- 
ury, and  have  so  many  servants.  Of  course 
they  cannot  be  contented  in  this  country  where 
they  have  to  do  their  own  work."  A  very 
wealthy  lady  was  asked  to  assist  in  the  prep- 
aration of  the  outfit  of  one  of  our  missionaries. 
Looking  at  the  list  of  articles  she  saw  the  item 
"two  dozen  shirts."  "What  does  he  want  so 
many  shirts  for.?"  she  asked  at  once.  It  was 
explained  that  as  the  washermen  sometimes 
kept  the  clothing  sent  them  to  be  laundried  for 
two  or  three  weeks,  owing  to  the  incessant  rains, 
it  was  necessary  to  have  a  comparatively  large 
supply  of  wearing  apparel  on  hand.  She  at 
once  refused  to  do  any  thing  toward  the  prep- 
aration of  the  outfit,  on  the  ground  that  the 
missionary's  wife  was  too  proud  to  do  her  own 
washing,  and  ske  would  not  countenance  such 


NO  DOMESTIC  PRIVACY.  2U} 


CHAPTER   XV. 

"  No  slacker  grows  the  fight, 
No  feebler  is  the  foe, 
No  less  the  need  of  armor  tried, 
Of  shield  and  spear  and  bow." 

The  privacy  of  the  dear  old  home  in  Amer- 
ica is  another  of  the  comforts  that  the  foreign 
missionary  lays  upon  the  altar.  Henceforth  his 
home  and  every  room  in  it  is  as  public  a  place 
as  the  halls  and  parlor  of  a  hotel.  The  natives 
have  no  idea  of  privacy ;  and  they  come  into 
the  missionary's  house  at  all  hours,  and  walk 
through  the  rooms,  examining  the  articles  of 
furniture  or  clothing,  admiring  here,  question- 
ing there,  experimenting  somewhere  else,  with- 
out a  thought  that  they  are  intruding.  In  that 
hot  climate  no  doors  are  closed  during  the  day, 
and  short  curtains  are  hung  in  the  doorways  to 
screen  the  occupants,  and  yet  admit  air  above 
and  below.  The  natives,  unaccustomed  to  even 
these  slight  barriers,  pull  them  aside,  and  look 
in  without  having  the  slightest  appreciation  of 


220  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

our  desire  to  be  alone  when  we  are  at  the  toilet ; 
and  they  will  not  unfrequently  come  into  the 
bedroom  before  the  missionary  or  his  wife  have 
risen. 

Such  little  intrusions  must  be  dealt  with  in 
the  most  gentle  manner.  A  rough  word  would 
drive  the  whole  party  from  the  house,  never  to 
return  again  ;  and  the  missionary's  influence 
would  be  much  weakened  thereby.  A  smiling 
"Please  do  not  come  in  here  just  now:  we  are 
dressing,  and  it  is  not  our  custom  to  visit  with 
friends  when  we  are  putting  on  our  clothes,"  is 
the  best  way  of  greeting  a  company  of  men  and 
women  coming  into  a  missionary's  bedrooii  at 
five  o'clock  in  the  morning.  They  will  ba^.k 
out  precipitately,  perhaps  overturning  one  or 
two  in  their  sudden  retreat ;  but  probably  in  an 
hour  from  then,  if  the  lady  of  the  house  goes 
into  her  room  and  draws  the  curtain  behind  her, 
some  curious  old  man  will  follow  her  and  peep 
in,  to  see  for  what  purpose  she  went  in  there. 
This  total  want  of  privacy  is  a  great  trial  at 
first;  but  it  is  one  which  must  be  borne  with 
most  patiently,  if  the  missionary  would  win  the 
love  and  confidence  of  his  people. 

But  we  must  return  to  Mrs.  Vinton,  and  tell  • 
how  she  made  these  '* household  troubles"  an 


TRAINING   SERVANTS.  221 

efficient  means  of  missionary  effort.  She  was  in 
the  habit  of  taking  boys  and  girls  into  her  ser- 
vice ;  and  while  teaching  them  how  to  cook,  and 
do  housework,  sometimes  under  the  supervision 
for  a  month  or  two  of  a  "Kalah  cook,"  she  had 
them  attend  school,  and  gave  them  personal  in- 
struction in  the  evenings.  By  this  means  they 
advanced  as  rapidly  in  their  studies  as  the  other 
pupils.  These  boys  and  girls  were  always  se- 
lected from  among  the  most  destitute  ;  and  she 
clothed  them,  and  supplied  all  their  wants  from 
her  own  purse,  in  return  for  the  work  which  they 
learned  in  time  to  do ;  and  so  far  from  their 
position  being  regarded  as  menial,  they  were 
often  envied  by  their  richer  mates  because  of 
the  advantage  which  they  derived  from  the  extra 
instruction  she  knew  so  well  how  to  give.  In 
one  of  her  letters  to  her  children  she  says, 
"  Many  ask  me  how  it  is  that  I  am  always  train- 
ing raw  Karens,  and,  as  soon  as  they  begin  to 
be  useful  to 'me,  let  them  go  from  me.  It  is 
trying,  but  it  is  part  of  my  missionary  work. 

"  No  one  is  so  blessed  in  their  help  as  I  am. 
My  girls  and  boys  serve  me,  not  for  money,  but 
to  improve  themselves,  and  prepare  for  future 
usefulness.  I  trust  that  many  of  them  will 
preach  and  teach  when  I  am  dead  and  gone." 


222  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

She  has  passed  away ;  but  all  over  the  jungles 
of  the  Rangoon  district,  and  in  many  other  mis- 
sion fields,  are  to  be  found  faithful  pastors,  de- 
voted teachers,  successful  evangelists  and  Bible- 
readers,  whom  she  had  fitted  for  their  life-work. 
It  seemed  to  be  her  lot  to  train  up  teachers,  and 
send  them  out  to  other  fields ;  but  there  were 
two  who  were  providentially  permitted  to  remain 
with  her,  and  to  aid  her  most  materially  during 
the  last  years  of  her  life.  These  were  George 
and  Isabella,  the  children  of  good  old  Loonee- 
pa,  or  Maw-0,  of  whom  mention  has  been  made 
on  page  203.  Unlike  the  most  of  the  scholars, 
they  were  not  poor;  and  it  was  not  for  this 
reason  that  Mrs.  Vinton  bestowed  special  train- 
ing upon  them.  Their  home  was  on  the  mis- 
sion compound,  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  which 
Mrs.  Vinton's  house  stood,  just  across  a  romantic 
little  stream  which  wound  its  way  to  the  river. 
They  did  not,  therefore,  leave  town  during  the 
vacations,  but  spent  most  of  their  spare  time  m 
Mrs.  Vinton's  house,  either  playing  with  Brain- 
erd  and  Calista,  or  poring  over  illustrated  papers 
and  picture-books. 

Their  father  was  at  that  time  a  wealthy  tim- 
ber merchant,  and  a  most  devoted  and  faithful 
supporter  of  the  mission  so  long  as  God  gave 
him  the  ability. 


GEORGE   AND    ISABELLA.  223 

Calista  and  little  Naw  Chung-Gah  (Isabella) 
soon  became  fast  friends.  The  latter  slept  on  a 
mat  in  Calista's  room,  and  shared  in  the  use  of 
all  her  books  and  playthings,  receiving  in  com- 
mon with  Loo-nee  (George)  much  extra  instruc- 
tion from  Mrs.  Vinton.  Both  were  remarkably 
precocious  children,  and  evinced  much  fondness 
for  study.  Loo-nee  so  distinguished  himself  in 
the  public  examinations  that  he  was  called,  by 
English  officers,  Christopher  Columbus,  George 
Washington,  Daniel  Webster,  Shakspeare,  and 
other  distinguished  names.  He  much  preferred 
George  Washington  to  all  the  other  cognomens 
which  had  been  thus  playfully  bestowed  upon 
him,  and  assumed  it  as  his  name.  In  time 
Washington  was  dropped,  and  his  family  name 
Ogh  or  O  added  in  its  place. 

The  Karens  have  a  curious  custom  of  chan- 
ging a  man's  name  after  the  birth  of  a  son,  and 
calling  him  by  the  name  of  the  son,  adding 
the  affix  "father  of."  Thus  Maw-O's  name 
after  Loo-nee's  birth  became  Loo-nee-pah.  The 
mother,  in  like  manner,  lost  her  name,  and  be- 
came Loo-nee-mo,  or  the  mother  of  Loo-nee. 

When  Mrs.  Vinton's  children  were  sent  to 
America  to  school,  Calista  called  her  little  friend 
aside,  and  told  her  how  lonely  her  father  and 


224  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

mother  would  be,  and  how  they  would  miss  the 
many  tender  little  offices  she  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  perform ;  and  she  begged  the  little 
Karen  girl  to  fill  her  place  as  far  as  possible. 
She  taught  her  how  to  do  many  little  things 
for  which  they  had  depended  on  the  daughter's 
care,  and  charged  her  not  to  let  them  miss  these 
little  offices  of  kindness. 

So  tenderly  and  faithfully  did  the  good  child 
fulfil  the  trust  imposed  on  her,  that  the  bereaved 
parents  on  several  occasions  burst  into  tears,  on 
finding  that  the  Lord  had  indeed  sent  them 
another  daughter  to  minister  to  and  to  comfort 
them  while  their  own  was  in  America.  Thus, 
with  the  cheerful  consent  of  her  own  father 
and  mother,  Naw  Chung-Gah  was  installed  in 
Calista's  room.  After  a  time  her  name  was 
changed  to  Isabella,  a  name  by  which  she  had 
been  sometimes  called  before  Calista  went  to 
America.  In  Mrs.  Vinton's  letters  to  her  chil- 
dren are  found  frequent  references  to  the  rapid 
progress  Isabella  made  in  her  studies,  and  to 
the  dutiful  affection  she  showed  to  her  foster- 
parents.  She  soon  became  fitted  to  take  charge 
of  younger  classes  in  the  school,  and  every  year 
became  increasingly  useful. 

She    took   charge    of   the    house  when    Mrs. 


A    FAITHFUL    ONE.  225 

Vinton  was  absent  in  the  jungle  with  Mr. 
Vinton.  She  was  ever  watchful  and  thoughtful 
for  their  comfort,  and,  in  times  of  sickness,  was 
a  most  tender  and  devoted  nurse. 

Mrs.  Vinton  often  said  that  her  own  daughter 
could  not  have  shown  more  filial  affection ;  yet 
when  she  went  down  to  her  father's  house,  she 
was  just  as  gentle  and  dutiful  to  her  own  par- 
ents as  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vinton. 

Many,  many  times  has  the  remark  been  made 
by  those  familiar  with  the  mission,  that,  if  Mrs. 
Vinton  had  done  nothing  else  than  to  train  up 
such  an  efficient  helper  and  teacher  as  Isabella, 
she  would  not  have  lived  in  vain.  Both  she 
and  her  brother  George  had  frequent  opportu- 
nities to  take  positions  elsewhere  as  teachers  at 
large  salaries,  but  they  chose  to  stay  with  Mrs. 
Vinton ;  and  it  is  impossible  to  speak  too  highly 
of  the  important  and  efificient  service  they  ren- 
dered. George  not  only  became  a  most  suc- 
cessful teacher,  but  aided  the  mission  greatly 
as  a  translator,  owing  to  his  critical  and  thor- 
ough acquaintance  with  the  English  language. 

In  thus  mentioning  these  two,  no  disparage- 
ment is  intended  or  implied  with  regard  to  the 
scores  of  other  devoted  teachers  and  laborers 
who  were  trained  by  Mrs.  Vinton  in  different 


226  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

periods  of  her  missionary  life,  and  who  also 
rendered  invaluable  aid  to  the  mission  in  the 
various  localities  where  duty  placed  them. 
Such  helpers  as  Tah-loo,  Dee-Hai,  Thah-mway 
and  his  wife  Eliza,  Naw-Oo-thah,  Lai-Nyoh, 
Gna-Dee,  Lai  Nah,  Fidelia,  Sarah  and  Ella,  two 
sisters  given  to  Mrs.  Vinton  by  their  dying 
mother,  Gna  Kaing,  Catherine,  Naw-nai-naw, 
Livy,  and  marty  others  whose  names  are  written 
in  heaven,  have  a  bright  record  here  on  earth, 
and  a  brighter  one  above.  We  mention  George 
and  Isabella  thus  particularly,  because  they 
were  more  personally  identified  with  Mrs.  Vin- 
ton in  her  work  in  the  city  school,  and  were 
privileged  to  remain  with  her  to  the  end,  minis- 
tering to  her  in  her  last  moments,  and  following 
her  beloved  remains  to  the  grave  on  the  hill-top, 
where  husband  and  wife  now  sleep  side  by  side, 
surrounded  by  the  precious  dust  of  many  of 
their  faithful  and  beloved  disciples,  almost  un- 
der the  shadow  of  the  mighty  Shway  Dagon. 

In  1861  Brainerd  Vinton,  having  completed 
his  college  course  at  Madison  University,  mar- 
ried Julia  A.,  the  eldest  daughter  of  Rev.  Dr. 
Haswell  of  the  Maulmain  Burman  Mission. 
Receiving  a  unanimous  call  from  the  Karen 
churches  of   the  Rangoon   district  to  be  their 


BRAINERD  S    RETURN.  22/ 

missionary,  he  set  sail  from  Boston  in  Septem- 
ber, and  reached  Rangoon  in  due  time. 

He  found  his  mother  and  sister  in  failing 
health,  owing  to  the  accumulation  of  cares  and 
duties  which  had  rested  on  them  since  his 
father's  death ;  but  it  was  hoped  that  both 
would  rally,  and  that  the  relief  experienced  from 
his  arrival  would  give  them  an  opportunity  to 
regain  strength  without  being  obliged  to  return 
to  America.  Mrs.  Vinton,  although  so  weak 
and  prostrated,  started  at  once  with  Brainerd 
for  a  long  trip  among  the  jungle  churches  ;  and 
great  were  the  rejoicings  of  the  people  to  learn 
that  "the  son  of  his  father"  had  come  back  to 
them. 

A  severe  illness,  on  her  return  from  the 
jungle,  made  it  evident,  that,  if  her  life  were  to 
be  spared,  an  immediate  return  to  America 
was  absolutely  necessary.  It  had  been  decided 
some  time  previously  that  Calista  must  seek  a 
cooler  climate  as  soon  as  any  one  could  be 
found  in  whose  company  she  might  make  the 
voyage,  as  she  was  too  weak  to  travel  alone ; 
and  Mrs.  Vinton  sorrowfully  began  to  open  her 
eyes  to  the  fact  that  she,  too,  must  leave  her 
beloved  work,  and  turn  her  face  toward  Amer- 
ica.    No  one  who  has  not  gone  through  this 


228  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

trial  can  in  any  degree  realize  the  painful  char- 
acter of  the  struggle  through  which  her  mind 
passed  before  coming  to  this  conclusion. 

It  seemed  so  much  easier  and  better  to  work 
on  while  life  should  last,  and  then  to  pass  away 
to  the  rest  and  reward  for  which  her  soul  hun 
gered  ;  and  yet,  on  the  other  hand,  she  felt  it 
wrong  to  throw  away  life  needlessly.  Her  phy- 
sician assured  her  that  all  she  needed  was  a 
long  sea-voyage,  and  a  year  or  two  of  entire 
rest ;  and  that  she  might  then  look  forward  to 
many  years  of  active  service  on  the  mission 
field. 

The  decision  was  made  ;  and  in  October,  1862, 
mother  and  daughter  sailed  in  the  American 
ship  "Vaucluse,"  from  Rangoon  to  Falmouth, 
England.  The  voyage  was  long  and  trying  in 
the  extreme.  Mrs.  Vinton,  as  usual,  instant  in 
service,  beguiled  the  tedium  of  the  voyage  by 
labors  among  the  crew,  and  was  rewarded  with 
success.  Who  can  tell  whither  the  ocean-winds 
have  blown  the  seed  sown  thus  in  weakness 
and  weariness .?  but  the  fruit  shall  be  seen  in 
eternity. 

In  March,  1863,  they  landed  at  Falmouth, 
England,  and  were  received  and  hospitably  en- 
tertained by  warm   Christian   friends  who  had 


MRS.    VINTON  S    VISIT   TO    ENGLAND.  229 

heard  of  their  work,  though  they  had  never  seen 
them.  From  there  they  went  to  Plymouth,  and 
thence  to  Bristol,  to  visit  Mr.  George  Miiller 
and  his  orphan  houses,  in  which  work  Mrs. 
Vinton  was  deeply  interested  ;  since  she  had 
learned  by  precious  experience  the  blessedness 
of  trusting  the  Lord  for  temporal  as  well  as 
spiritual  supplies. 

To  Mrs.  Vinton's  great  surprise,  although  this 
was  her  first  visit  to  England,  she  found,  wher- 
ever she  went,  both  hearts  and  homes  open  to 
receive  her,  and  bid  her  welcome  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord.  She  always  had  a  low  estimate  of 
herself  and  of  her  labors,  —  considering  herself 
a  comparatively  unknown  worker  upon  the  very 
outskirts  of  the  vineyard ;  and  although  her 
school  in  Rangoon  had  received  so  many  flatter- 
ing commendations,  and  such  abundant  contri- 
butions from  people  of  all  classes  and  of  all 
fa,iths,  some  of  them  indeed  of  no  faith,  yet  she 
attributed  all  this  to  the  interesting  nature  of 
the  work,  and  never  dreamed  that  she  herself 
could  be  an  object  of  interest  to  any  save  her 
personal  friends.  We  can  imagine  her  surprise, 
then,  to  find  herself  greeted,  wherever  she  went, 
with  a  warm-hearted,  earnest  cordiality,  which, 
though  so  thoroughly  English,  was  not  to  be 


230  THE    VINTONS   AND    THE    KARENS. 

expected  from  those  to  whom  she  thought  .jer- 
self  to  be  a  perfect  stranger. 

She  had,  indeed,  expected  a  kindly  welcome 
from  the  Bells,  the  Underhills,  Sir  David  Rus- 
sell, Dr.  Balfour,  and  others,  with  whom  her  hus- 
band and  herself  had  enjoyed  pleasant  Chris- 
tian intercourse  in  Burmah ;  but,  in  addition  to 
these  dear  and  cherished  friends  she,  found  many 
others.  They  gathered  around  her,  and  not  only 
expressed  the  deepest  interest  in  her  work,  with 
every  detail  of  which  they  seemed  familiar,  but 
they  invited  her  to  their  homes,  and  made  her 
feel  the  breadth  and  depth  of  true  English  hos- 
pitality, as  she  had  never  known  it  before. 

In  London  she  was  the  guest  of  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Underbill.  With  them  she  spent  several 
weeks,  enjoying  rare  opportunities  for  meeting 
such  noble  Christian  men  and  women  as  Rev. 
Dr.  Angus,  Mrs.  Ranyard,  Rev.  Dr.  Brock,  Sir 
Morton  and  Lady  Peto,  Rev.  Dr.  Landels,  Hon. 
and  Rev.  Baptist  W.  Noel,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Tres- 
trail,  and  others,  who  were  in  such  hearty  sym- 
pathy with  her  work  that  she  felt  no  longer  like 
a  stranger  in  a  strange  land. 

Rev.  Dr.  Tucker  assured  her  that  her  very 
name  was  fragrant  to  all  who  were  in  any  way 
acquainted  with  foreign  missions.     The  gener- 


CHELTENHAM    AND    LONDON.  23 1 

ous  grants  given  by  the  Bible  and  Tract  Socie- 
ties filled  her  heart  with  renewed  confidence 
that  God  was  still  providing  for  the  needs  of  the 
beloved  mission  under  her  charge. 

Leaving  London,  she  went  to  spend  a  month 
at  Cheltenham  with  those  devoted  friends  of  the 
mission,  Gen.  and  Mrs.  Bell.  Then  came  a 
brief  visit  to  Liverpool,  where  she  and  Calista 
were  most  hospitably  entertained  by  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Jackson,  of  Dr  Birrell's  church,  Pembroke 
Chapel;  then  the  voyage  to  America  —  Home! 

We  find,  from  letters  written  at  this  time,  that 
Mrs.  Vinton  had  hoped  that  the  passage  to  Eng- 
land would  restore  her  health,  and  that  a  few 
months'  rest  in  that  country  would  permit  her  to 
return  to  her  loved  work.  It  was,  therefore,  a 
sore  disappointment  to  her  to  find  that  further 
rest  and  medical  treatment  would  be  required. 
She  writes  to  her  sister  as  follows  :  — 

"  We  have  been  in  London  a  month  ;  but  my  health  has 
not  improved  so  much  but  that  I  fear  I  shall  be  obliged 
to  go  still  farther  to  regain  it.  If  necessary  I  will  go  on, 
trusting  that  the  Lord  will  direct  my  steps.  I  cannot  tell 
you  how  I  long  to  get  back  to  my  school,  the  Karen 
churches,  and  my  work  among  the  heathen.  Much  as  I 
wish  to  see  you  and  dear  mother,  also  Lucinda"  (Mr.  Vin- 
ton's sister)  "and  father  Vinton,  I  would  gladly  take  ship 
to-morrow  for  Rangoon,  if  I  could  hope  to  live  there,  and 


232  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

be  able  to  do  any  thing.  I  did  not  want  to  leave  my  work  ; 
but  I  have  come  thus  far,  and  I  am  praying  for  a  heart 
to  say,  '  Thy  will  be  done  in  my  sufferings  as  well  as  in 
my  labors.'"     (April  i8,  1863.) 

In  June,  1863,  she  landed  in  New  York,  and, 
after  but  a  day's  rest,  started  with  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Nathan  Brown,  formerly  of  the  Assam  Mission, 
for  an  annual  meeting  of  the  Free  Mission 
Society,  held  at  Mt.  Holly,  New  Jersey.  Here 
she  met  Mr.  R.  M.  Luther,  who  had  just  com- 
pleted his  studies  at  Princeton  (N.  J.)  Theologi- 
cal Seminary,  and  who  had  resolved  to  devote 
himself  to  mission  work,  though  he  had  not 
settled  on  any  particular  field  of  labor.  Her 
earnest  appeal  for  Burmah  decided  the  question 
in  his  mind,  and  he  offered  himself  at  once  as 
a  missionary  to  the  Karens. 

Mrs.  Vinton  felt  that  this  was  indeed  a  spe- 
cial answer  to  prayer  ;  and  she  wrote  at  once  to 
her  son,  and  to  the  Karen  churches,  that  she 
was  now  convinced  that  the  Lord  had  led  her 
steps  to  America,  for  he  had, sent  a  man  who 
would  take  charge  of  the  High  School  in  the 
city,  and  of  other  departments  of  the  educa- 
tional work,  and  the  printing-press.  She  con- 
tinued, "I  hope  the  Lord  will  soon  send  him  a 
good  wife,  so  that  they  together  may  return  with 
me." 


AN   AGED    MOTHER.  233 

She  little  thought  that  the  young  man  whom 
she  so  enthusiastically  commended  to  the  Karen 
churches  was  destined  to  be  her  son.' 

Leaving  New  Jersey  after  a  brief  visit  to 
Philadelphia,  Calista  was  taken  to  the  home  of 
her  foster-parents,  Rev.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Ives,  of 
Suffield,  Conn.  Mrs.  Vinton  then  made  an  all- 
too-brief  visit  to  the  dear  old  homestead  in 
Union,  Conn.,  where  the  aged  mother's  eyes 
had  grown  dim  with  watching  for  the  beloved 
daughter. 

^  Nor,  indeed,  did  "  the  young  man  "  think  so  at  that  time. 
R.  M.  L. 


234  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

"  Another  battle  fought,  and  oh  !  not  lost,  — 
Tells  of  the  ending  of  this  fight  and  thrall ; 
Another  ridge  of  time's  lone  moorland  crossed, 
Gives  nearer  prospect  of  the  jasper  wall. 

Gone  to  begin  a  new  and  happier  story, 
Thy  bitter  tale  of  earth  now  told  and  done. 

These  outer  shadows  for  that  inner  glory 

Exchanged  forever.  —  O  thrice  blessed  one  !  " 

Mrs.  Vinton  had  returned  to  America  to 
rest ;  yet  the  few  weeks  spent  in  Union  and 
Tolland,  Conn,,  were  really  all  the  rest  she 
gave  herself  during  her  entire  stay  in  this 
country.  She  had  never  realized  how  thor- 
oughly her  system  was  broken  down,  and 
seemed  to  wonder  that  the  old  weariness  and 
exhaustion  still  continued  ;  but  she  felt  so  much 
benefited  in  other  ways  by  the  bracing  air  and 
homely  food  of  her  native  land,  that  she  prom- 
ised herself  an  early  and  complete  recovery. 

Hence  when,  from  every  part  of  the  country, 
there  came  the  most  urgent  invitations  to  visit 


STONINGTON    UNION    ASSOCIATION.  235 

churches  and  associations,  and  address  them 
upon  the  subject  of  our  missions  in  Burmah, 
she  did  not  think  of  refusing,  or  of  urging  the 
state  of  her  health  as  an  excuse  for  non-com- 
phance.  In  this  way  she  was  in  a  few  weeks 
drawn  away  from  her  home. 

A  most  memorable  visit  was  that  which  she 
made  to  the  Stonington  Union  Association  in 
the  last  week  in  June.  Twenty-nine  years  be- 
fore, this  association  had  designated  the  Vin- 
tons  as  its  missionaries  to  the  heathen.  Again 
in  1850  it  had  solemnly  renewed  their  designa- 
tion in  the  name  of  the  churches  of  Connecticut 
represented  by  it.  On  that  occasion,  after  a 
most  remarkable  prayer  by  Elder  Swan,  Mr. 
Vinton,  ''with  his  face  shining  like  an  angel's," 
exclaimed,  "  I  go  bound  in  spirit  unto  Burmah, 
and  from  Burmah  to  heaven."  ^ 

All  the  old-time  friends  had  not  passed  away. 
The  Rev.  Dr.  Palmer,  whose  friendship  had  not 
wavered  for  one  moment,  the  venerable  Elder 
Swan  and  others,  whose  tender  love  had  been 
life-long,  were  there.  Mrs.  Vinton  always  spoke 
of  this  last  visit  as  the  most  precious  thing  in 
the  long  history  of  her  connection  with  the  Con- 
necticut churches. 

^  Elder  Swan's  Biography,  p.  415. 


236  THE   VINTONS   AND   THE   KARENS. 

From  Stonington  she  went  to  Hartford,  and 
there  again  renewed  old  friendships.  While  in 
Hartford  she  determined,  in  answer  to  the 
many  urgent  letters  she  had  received  from  the 
West,  to  visit  some  of  the  churches  in  that  part 
of  the  country ;  and  it  was  arranged  that  she 
and  Mr.  Luther  should  make  a  systematic  tour 
through  the  states  of  Ohio,  Illinois,  and  Wis- 
consin, and  also  through  portions  of  Canada. 
In  July,  1863,  the  journey  began.  After  pausing 
at  Hamilton  for  the  commencement  exercises  of 
Madison  University,  she  next  visited  Buffalo, 
Cleveland,  Cincinnati,  Chicago,  and  the  churches 
of  Northern  Illinois  and  Southern  Wisconsin. 
Returning,  she  addressed  many  of  the  churches 
in  Canada,  along  the  line  of  the  Grand  Trunk 
Railway. 

The  effect  of  her  earnest  words  upon  the 
communities  and  churches  was  thrilling.  En- 
thusiasm was  aroused  everywhere,  and  the  mis- 
sionary spirit  was  quickened  in  many  places  in 
which  it  had  almost  ceased  to  exist.  It  was 
noticeable  in  her  addresses  that  she  made  but 
few  references  to  herself  or  to  her  own  work. 
She  aimed  rather  at  giving  to  our  churches  a 
clear  and  accurate  view  of  the  true  condition  of 
our   mission    fields,   in   order   that   they  might 


MRS.    VINTON    IN    CANADA.  23/ 

intelligently  comprehend  the  demands  made 
upon  the  Christians  in  this  country  for  assist- 
ance. Her  frequent  exclamation  was,  **  The 
people  will  give  and  pray  for  our  missions,  if 
they  only  know  the  facts  in  regard  to  them. 
What  they  need  is  not  theory  or  argument,  but 
facts ; "  and  the  facts,  as  taught  her  by  nearly 
thirty  years  of  mission  life,  she  endeavored  to 
give  them.  As  to  the  effect  produced  by  her 
inimitable  addresses,  we  might  quote  largely 
from  the  religious  and  secular  papers  of  the  day ; 
but  we  content  ourselves  with  but  one  extract. 
It  is  from  "The  Canadian  Missionary  Link,** 
and  was  published  so  recently  as  October,  1879, 
sixteen  years  after  the  visit  to  which  it  refers. 

"  About  sixteen  years  ago  a  returned  missionary  from 
the  Karens,  Mrs.  Vinton,  who  for  years  had  toiled  among 
them,  after  a  brief  stay  in  America,  travelling,  lecturing, 
pleading  for  the  perishing  ones  in  that  heathen  land, 
visited  our  institute  in  Woodstock,  just  previous  to  her 
return  to  her  former  field  of  labor,  and  talked  to  us  about 
this  interesting  people.  I  remember  well  how  our  hearts 
were  touched  by  the  simple  appeals  of  that  gray-haired, 
widowed  missionary,  who,  having  already  spent  weary 
years  of  toil  and  privation  among  the  heathen,  was  about 
to  return  to  them  in  all  the  freshness  of  her  sanctified 
zeal  for  God,  there  to  finish  her  toil,  and  thence  to  ascend 


238  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

the  tide  of  missionary  effort  of  our  young  churches  in 
Canada  towards  India,  and  of  rousing  and  impelling  our 
young  men  and  women  forward  towards  those  heathen 
lands,  we  cannot  say ;  but  there  is  no  doubt  that"  that 
woman's  hearty  appeal  and  heroic  example  lie  far  back  in 
the  chain  of  hallowed  influences  which  produced  the 
results  in  our  own  special  mission  work  over  which  we 
rejoice  to-day." 

In  November  she  returned  East,  made  a  brief 
visit  to  New  York  and  Philadelphia.  At  the 
Central  Union  Association  in  the  latter  place 
she  delivered  an  address,  of  which  it  is  said  in 
"  The  Christian  Chronicle  :  "  — 

"  No  words  can  adequately  describe  the  '  moments  rich 
in  blessing '  enjoyed,  as  the  calm  and  sweet,  yet  earnest 
tones  of  the  great  Christian  heroine  brought  vividly  before 
the  audience  thrilling  scenes  and  events.  The  hearers 
seemed  really  present  with  the  speaker,  as  oblivious  of  self 
she  was  engaged  in  her  wonted  employment  in  the  school, 
or  wandering  through  the  jungle  from  village  to  village  to 
tell  of  Jesus.  She  led  the  audience  from  station  to  sta- 
tion ;  and  tears  started  unbidden,  and  sobs  could  not  be 
restrained,  as  abandoned  posts,  and  aged  or  feeble  labor- 
ers, were  beheld  scattered  thinly  around  the  great  central 
region,  where  seven  hundred  thousand  people  are  waiting 
for  their  'younger  brother,  the  white  man,  to  come  from 
the  setting  sun,  and  give  them  the  long-lost  law  of  the 
Lord.'  Surely  no  one  who  saw  that  countenance  beam- 
ing with  the  love  of  Christ  will  ever  forget  it,  or  cease  to 


RETURN    TO    BURMAH.  239 

pray  that  the  mother  may  be  spared  to  return  to  her  son, 
and  resume  the  work  she  so  dearly  loves." 

Returning  to  New  York,  much  against  the 
desire  and  advice  of  all  her  friends,  she  deter- 
mined to  sail  at  once  for  Burmah.  She  seemed 
to  be  entirely  restored  to  health  ;  but  it  was 
feared,  that,  unless  she  spent  a  winter  in  America, 
the  restoration  would  be  but  temporary.  How- 
ever, her  heart  was  in  Burmah.  She  could  not 
rest  day  or  night  for  thinking  of  the  Karen 
churches,  and  of  the  destitute  regions  beyond. 
So  in  December,  1863,  she  sailed  for  England, 
and  thence,  by  the  ''Overland  Route"  {via  Egypt 
and  the  Red  Sea),  to  Calcutta  and  Rangoon, 
arriving  in  March,  1864. 

She  engaged  immediately  in  the  work  of  the 
mission  with  great  hopefulness,  and  in  the  con- 
fident expectation  of  many  years  of  labor.  It 
was  soon  evident,  however,  that  her  time  was 
short.  The  old  disease,. which  had  been  simply 
checked,  not  eradicated  from  her  system,  by  her 
too  brief  visit  to  England  and  America,  began 
to  make  itself  felt  again.  The  close  of  the  rains 
found  her  busily  engaged  in  preparing  the  second 
mission  house  (then  known  as  the  **  Binney 
House")  for  her  daughter  Calista  and  her  hus- 
band, Rev.  R.    M.   Luther.     About  Nov.  i  she 


240  THE   VINTONS   AND   THE   KARENS. 

was  suddenly  attacked  with  an  acute  form  of 
the  disease  which  had  followed  her  so  long 
(inflammation  of  the  alimentary  canal),  and 
was  prostrated  at  once. 

From  the  first  she  had  the  best  medical  attend- 
ance which  could  be  given  her,  but  without 
receiving  any  benefit  whatever.  Her  physician, 
Dr.  Ford,  advised  her  removal  to  the  city 
(Rangoon),  three  miles  away,  where  she  might 
be  near  his  own  residence,  and  thus  make  it 
possible  for  him  to  attend  her  at  any  moment, 
and  watch  her  case  critically.  Rev.  Dr.  Stevens 
very  kindly  recejved  her  into  his  house,  and 
there  she  remained  until  the  last. 

On  the  6th  of  December  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Luther 
arrived ;  and  the  excitement  consequent  on  wel- 
coming her  beloved  daughter  produced  a  tem- 
porary re-action,  but  in  two  or  three  days  she 
sunk  back  again.  From  that  time  her  only  de- 
sire seemed  to  be  to  depart  and  be  with  Christ. 
Frequently  we  who  stood  by  her  would  hear  her 
murmur,  "  Come,  Lord  Jesus  !  Come  quickly  !  '* 
**  Lord,  how  long  !  How  long  !  "  When  one 
day  Mr.  Luther  repeated  a  number  of  passages 
from  the  Word,  she,  after  each,  replied  by  quot- 
ing one  of  a  similar  tenor  ;  and  then  she  repeated 
the  entire  twenty-third  Psalm.     When  we  would 


MRS.    VINTON  S    DEATH.  24 1 

speak  of  her  possible  recovery,  she  would  say- 
earnestly,  ''  No,  no  !  My  work  is  done  :  I  must 
go.  I  cannot  any  longer  stay  away  from  the 
bright  scenes  which  have  awaited  me  so  long. 
I  am  no  longer  needed  here.  You  will  do  all 
for  the  Karens  that  I  could  do,  and  much  more. 
And  now  I  must  rest." 

Dr.  Ford,  an  earnest  and  devout  Christian, 
said  to  us,  **  I  can  do  nothing.  The  soul  is  fret- 
ting out  the  body.  No  remedy  will  act  as  it 
should,  and  I  am  powerless.  I  have  never  seen 
an  instance  in  my  long  experience  where  so 
much  strength  of  mind  was  manifest  while  the 
body  was  so  prostrated." 

On  the  1 8th  of  December,  1864,  a  bright, 
beautiful  morning,  at  eleven  o'clock,  she  gently, 
peacefully,  passed  away. 

"  Hush  !  Nor  dare  with  ominous  breath 
To  syllable  the  name  of  Death. 
We  know  she  only  sleepeth ; 

And  from  the  dust 
Truth  hath  decreed  her  glorious  resurrection." 

A.  W.  Hare. 

These  imperfect  records  are  closed.  It  has 
been  a  labor  of  love  to  compile,  from  many  frag- 
ments, this  sketch  of  those  of  whom  a  veteran 
missionary  said,  — 


242  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

"  Seldom,  if  ever,  has  there  been  an  instance  where  a 
missionary  and  his  wife  were  both  so  eminently  quahfied 
for  the  work,  and  so  eminently  successful,  as  Justus  Hatch 
Vinton  and  Calista  Holman  Vinton.  To  an  uncommon 
strength  of  mind,  there  was  added  in  each  a  deep  piety, 
and  a  strong  and  ardent  faith.  They  entered  on  their 
work  purposing  to  make  great  sacrifices,  and  expecting 
through  the  divine  assistance  to  have  many  souls  for  their 
hire.  In  these  expectations  they  were  not  disappointed. 
To  the  direct  labors  of  no  other  missionary  pair  should 
we  be  able  to  trace  so  large  a  number  of  conversions  from 
heathenism." 

"  Softly  within  that  peaceful  resting-place 

We  lay  their  weary  limbs  ;  and  bid  the  clay 
Press  lightly  on  them,  till  the  night  be  past, 
And  the  far  east  give  note  of  coming  day. 

The  day  of  re-appearing  !  how  it  speeds  ! 

He  who  is  true  and  faithful  speaks  the  word  : 
Then  shall  we  ever  be  with  those  we  love. 

Then  shall  we  be  '  forever  with  the  Lord.' 

Short  death  and  darkness  :  endless  life  and  light 
Short  dimming  ;  endless  shining  in  3'on  sphere 

Where  all  is  incorruptible  and  pure, 

The  joy  without  the  pain,  the  smile  without  the  tear." 

H.   BONAR 


MIRANDA  VINTON.  243 


CHAPTER    XVII. 


MIRANDA    VINTON. 


"Needs  there  the  praise  of  the  love-written  record, 
The  name  and  the  epitaph  graved  on  the  stone  ? 
The  things  we  have  lived  for,  —  let  them  be  our  story, 
We  ourselves  but  rem.embered  by  what  we  have  done. 

Not  myself,  but  the  truth  .that  in  life  I  have  spoken, 
Not  myself,  but  the  seed  that  in  life  I  have  sown, 

Shall  pass  on  to  ages :  all  about  me  forgotten, 

Save  the  truth  I  have  spoken,  the  things  I  have  done." 

The  references  in  the  foregoing  memoir  to 
Miranda  Vinton,  who  was  for  twelve  years  inti- 
mately associated  with  her  brother  in  his  work, 
lead  us  to  subjoin  the  following  extracts  from 
letters  received  from  Mrs.  Dr.  Binney  and  Mrs. 
Dr.  Stevens,  since  this  volume  was  in  the  hands 
of  the  publisher.  We  regret  that  it  has  been 
impossible  to  collect  materials  for  an  extended 
notice  of  this  excellent  and  devoted  mission- 
ary ;  but  we  are  not  without  hopes  that  at  some 
future  day  a  brief  memoir  shall  be  issued  of  one 


244  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

who  was  SO  earnest  in  her  work,  and  who,  under 
God,  did  so  much  to  render  the  labors  of  her 
brother  efficient  in  winning  souls. 

My  dear  Mrs.  Luther,  —  My  first  acquaintance  with 
Miss  Vinton  commenced  on  mission  ground  at  Maulmain, 
in  April,  1842.  I  know  little  of  her  history  previous  to 
that  time,  except  that  she  completed  her  school  educa- 
tion, but  a  short  time  previous  to  her  going  out  to  Bur- 
mah,  at  the  Charlestown  Female  Seminary,  Charlestown, 
Mass.  Miss  Whiting,  the  honored  and  beloved  princi- 
pal of  that  institution,  was  her  regular  correspondent.  I 
was  often  privileged  to  read  Miss  Whiting's  letters,  which 
showed  that  she  both  held  her  former  pupil  in  high  es- 
teem and  cherished  for  her  the  tenderest  affection. 

On  our  arrival  in  Maulmain,  the  Judsons,  Howards,  and 
Osgoods  were  waiting  on  the  shore,  ready  to  give  us  a 
hearty  welcome ;  but  as  Mr.  Binney  Was  to  be  associated 
more  intimately  with  your  father,  who  was  then  the  only 
Karen  missionary  at  Maulmain,  he  naturally  inquired  for 
"Brother  and  Sister  Vinton."  He  was  told  that  they 
and  "Sister  Miranda"  were  at  Ko-Chet  Thaing's,  where 
they  had  been  holding  a  protracted  meeting,  and  that  the 
Lord  was  so  richly  blessing  their  labors  that  they  had 
not  thought  it  right  to  leave,  even  to  greet  us  on  our 
arrival.  They  thought,  however,  the  heat  was  becoming 
so  intense,  and  the  season  so  far  advanced,  that  they 
could  not  remain  much  longer  in  the  jungle.  "And  who 
is  sister  Miranda  .''  "  was  our  first  question.  Dr.  Judson 
replied,  "  She  is  brother  Vinton's  sister,  who  has  been  with 
him  in  his  work  now  about  three  years,  —  a  noble  worker, 


MRS.    BINNEY  S    LETTER.  245 

and  will  be  a  charming  associate  for  you,  Mrs.  Binney. 
I  congratulate  you  upon  having  her  so  intimately  con- 
nected with  you  in  your  future  Work." 

I  was,  of  course,  prepared  by  such  a  commendation  to 
love  her.  The  next  morning  as  brother  Howard,  at 
whose  house  we  were  staying  for  a  few  days,  was  calling 
his  family  and  guests  together  for  their  usual  family  wor- 
ship, Miss  Vinton,  without  previous  announcement,  made 
her  appearance  in  our  midst.  The  children  rushed  to 
embrace  and  kiss  her,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Howard  showed 
unmistakable  signs  of  joy  at  her  unexpected  presence. 
My  first  impression,  while  this  was  going  on,  was  one  of 
disappointment.  She  was  not  the  ideal  woman  I  had 
formed;  but  a  moment  after,  when  we  were  introduced 
and  she  embraced  me,  too  full  of  emotion  to  attempt 
to  speak,  I  took  her  into  my  inmost  heart,  from  which 
duress  she  never  was  able  to  escape. 

The  following  year  she  continued  to  work  in  connec- 
tion with  your  parents.  During  the  rains  she  continued 
to  teach  in  the  large  Karen  school,  which  was  composed 
of  "  old  men  and  maidens,  young  men  and  children,"  — 
even  mothers  with  infants  in  their  arms  were  there,  —  all 
gathered  from  the  different  villages  of  the  district.  Most 
of  these  pupils  were  converts  from  heathenism ;  others, 
though  not  as  yet  baptized,  had  taken  the  first  step  in 
the  right  direction  by  coming  to  a  Christian  school  to 
learn  to  read  the  word  of  God,  and  rarely  went  back  to 
heathenism. 

The  Karens  had  no  written  language  until  a  short 
time  before  Miss  Vinton  entered  on  her  work,  but  we 
found  her  speaking  and  writing  it  with  fluency  and  accu- 
racy.    She   had  learned  it.  as   all   children  learn  their 


246  THE    VINTONS   AND    THE    KARENS. 

native  tongue,  by  hearing  and  speaking.  She  mingled 
with  the  people,  and  was  "one  of  them"  in  sympathy 
and  interest ;  and  she  soon  was  able  to  express  her  sym- 
pathy and  interest  in  intelligible  language.  I  had  not 
the  ability  to  acquire  the  language  so  readily  in  that  way, 
and  said  to  her  one  day,  "  How  am  I  ever  to  learn  this 
language  without  a  good  grammar?  Now,  here  is  this 
word,  bah  :  sometimes  it  is  a  prefix,  and  seems  to  be  used 
as  a  sign  of  the  imperative ;  more  frequently  an  affix,  and 
indicates  a  negative  ;  sometimes  it  is  used  singly,  and 
sometimes  repeated  without  any  obvious  reason.  By 
what  rule  or  rules  am  I  to  be  governed  in  its  use.?" 
After  thinking  a  moment,  she  laughingly  said  that  she  had 
never  thought  about  any  rule.  Now  that  I  had  drawn 
her  attention  to  it,  it  did  look  very  much  as  if  the  Karens 
stuck  it  in  here  and  there  at  random ;  but  she  supposed, 
when  Dr.  Mason's  grammar  was  completed,  he  would 
show  us  how  and  where  to  use  it.  She  was  quite  con- 
tent, however,  to  go  on  using  it  without  troubling  herself 
about  the  rules  ;  and  probably  few  missionaries  ever  used 
it  more  correctly. 

She  knew  the  spiritual  state  of  every  man,  woman,  and 
child  in  the  school,  and  felt  a  personal  interest  in  each. 
Like  Miss  Whiting,  under  whose  influence  she  had  been 
while  preparing  for  her  work,  she  conversed  with,  and 
prayed  with  and  for,  every  pupil  individually.  The  in- 
fluence she  exerted  over  the  people  generally,  not  only  in 
the  schools  but  in  the  churches,  and  in  bringing  the 
heathen  to  Christ,  was  something  wonderful.  In  all  this 
she  never  forgot  her  proper  relation  to  them,  as  is  some- 
times seen  in  similar  cases,  so  that  undue  "  familiarity 
breeds   contempt."     Always  cheerful  and  kind,  yet  dig- 


MRS.    BINNEY  S    LETTER.  24/ 

nified,  she  walked  before  them  without  reproach,  setting 
an  example  safe  for  all  to  imitate. 

Though  so  thoroughly  engrossed  in  her  own  work,  she 
seldom  failed  to  run  over,  several  times  a  day,  to  see  me 
a  moment,  and  often  to  help  me.  She  had  the  rare  gift 
of  being  on  hand  when  she  could  be  useful,  and  yet 
never  officiously  in  one's  way.  She  had  been  in  the  coun- 
try long  enough  to  be  of  essential  service  to  us  in  many 
ways. 

The  third  year,  I  think,  of  our  being  in  Maulmain,  your 
mother's  failing  health  required  your  parents'  return  to 
America.  The  Maulmain  Normal  School  was  then  well 
established,  and  Mr.  Binney  invited  Miss  Vinton  to  come 
to  us  and  assist  in  the  school.  A  room  for  her  use  was 
added  to  our  small  house,  and  she  became  a  member  of 
our  family.  It  was  a  great  trial  to  her  at  first  to  give  up 
her  loved  jungle  work;  but,  as  Mr.  Binney  had  taken 
charge  of  the  churches  during  her  brother's  absence,  it 
was  thought  best  that  I  should  accompany  him  in  his 
dry  season  trips,  and  she  remain  in  town.  She  soon  be- 
came intensely  interested  in  her  work  in  that  school, 
which  we  considered  an  embryo  college.  She  was  a  good 
teacher  and  a  good  disciplinarian.  The  school  was 
taught  through  the  medium  of  the  English  language, 
using  English  text-books  only ;  but  here  free  use  of  the 
vernacular  enabled  her  to  make  these  well  understood. 
She  translated  one  or  two  elementary  books,  mostly  for 
the  use  of  the  district  schools,  and  some  beautiful  hymns  ; 
but  she  never  gave  much  attention  to  that  department  of 
mission  work.  At  the  same-  time  that  she  was  teaching 
in  the  Normal  School,  she  received  all  visitors  from  the 
jungle  who  came  to  town,  either  on  business  or  for  reli- 


248  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

gious  inquiry.  She  labored  earnestly  for  the  salvation  of 
souls,  and  many  souls  were  given  for  her  hire. 

When  the  Normal  School  was  abandoned  by  the 
decision  of  the  Executive  Committee,  influenced  by  "  the 
deputation  "  they  had  sent  to  Burmah  to  banish  the  use 
of  the  English  language  from  all  their  missioh  schools, 
she  returned  to  her  former  work.  Though  she  would 
have  saved  the  school  at  any  personal  sacrifice,  she  wisely 
judged  that  the  responsibility  rested  on  the  brethren  of 
the  mission  and  the  Executive  Committee ;  and  she  lost 
no  time  in  vain  regrets  or  controversy,  but  cheerfully  and 
without  complaint,  followed  the  leadings  of  Divine  Provi- 
dence. 

About  the  year  1854  she  came  home,  for  the  first  time, 
to  visit  her  aged  parents  and  other  friends.  Though 
not  actually  ill,  she  needed  rest;  but  she  obtained  but 
little  in  a  sea  voyage  around  the  Cape,  and  having  in  her 
charge  three  or  four  motherless  children.  Her  health 
suffered  somewhat  by  the  voyage ;  but  she  soon  rallied, 
and  was  everywhere  received  with  regard  and  affection. 
She  was  quiet,  and  did  little  in  public,  but  everywhere 
produced  the  sweetest  impressions  in  behalf  of  the  mis- 
sion cause  in  general,  and  her  own  work  in  particular, 
in  private  circles.  Had  her  visit  been  made  in  this  day, 
when  woman's  work  is  bringing  together  larger  numbers, 
her  work  would  doubtless  have  been  more  widely  known, 
and  her  influence  have  extended  to  a  larger  circle. 

In  June,  T854,  she  made  us  a  visit  in  Washington,  D.C. 
She  was  present,  and  listened  to  Dr.  Binney's  inaugural 
address,  on  entering  on  his  duties  as  president  of  Col- 
umbia College.  To  a  gentleman  who  had  said  to  her, 
that,  if  her  acquaintance  with  Dr.  Binney  had  been  con- 


MRS.    BINNEY  S    LETTER.  249 

fined  to  the  mission  work  she  must  be  somewhat  sur- 
prised by  the  character  of  his  address,  "  By  no  means," 
she  repHed.  "  I  have  Ijeard  Dr.  Binney,  for  weeks  in 
succession,  preach  in  Karen ;  and  I  have  always  deemed 
his  simple,  clear,  and  moving  manner  of  presenting  Bible 
truths  to  so  ignorant  a  people,  as  requiring  a  higher  order 
of  talent  than  his  address  to-day.  Indeed,"  she  added, 
"  I  have  not  enjoyed  his  address  as  I  should  have  done, 
had  I  not  been  thinking  how  much  the  labor  and  ability 
bestowed  upon  it  were  needed  in  his  former  field  of 
labor  among  the  Karens."  —  "  And  would  you  have  him 
return  to  it  ? "  —  "  Most  certainly :  I  should  rejoice  in  his 
return.  There  are  men  enough  to  take  this  place,  who 
are  probably  envying  him  his  call  to  it,  while  no  one 
can  or  will  take  his  place  in  Burmah."  Thus  she  mag- 
nified her  office.  There  was  nothing  paramount  with  her 
to  obedience  to  her  Lord's  last  command. 

Soon  after  her  return  to  Burmah,  she  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Rev.  Norman  Harris  of  the  Karen  Mission 
at  Shway-Geen.  At  that  station  little  had  been  done 
for  women  distinctively,  and  the  timid  women  and  girls 
flocked  around  her  at  once.  She  drew  them  to  her  like 
a  magnet,  and  entered  into  this  new  work  with  all  her 
heart.  She  had  been  home  and  was  rested.  She  had  the 
inspiration  of  an  earnest  and  strong  worker  at  her  side, 
who  assisted  and  encouraged  her  in  all  her  plans,  and  who 
fully  appreciated,  not  only  her  work,  but  her.  His  love 
and  appreciation  helped  her  to  seek  more  earnestly  how 
she  might  "  please  the  Lord."  But  whether  her  labors 
were  too  exhausting,  or  the  climate  unfavorable,  or  both 
united,  in  less  than  four  months  after  her  marriage  she 
was  taken  ill  of  fever,  which  in  a  few  days  terminated 


250  THE   VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

fatally.      Her  heavenly  Bridegroom  called  for  her,  and 
she  left  us. 

Not  only  the  heart  of  her  husband,  but  every  heart  in 
the  mission  circle,  was  pierced  with  a  great  sorrow.  The 
event  was  as  mysterious  as  unexpected.  In  the  midst 
of  life  and  health,  of  great  usefulness  and  happiness  as 
well,  she  was  called  away.  But  a  short  time  before  her 
illness,  she  had  said  to  a  friend  that  she  had  never  be- 
fore supposed  it  possible  that  so  much  happiness  could 
have  been  crowded  into  three  short  months.  But  to  the 
eye  of  faith  the  vision  extends  to  the  heavenly  felicity, 
to  a  higher  service  and  to  a  purer  love. 

Perhaps  her  character  has  been  sufficiently  delineated 
by  her  work;  but  I  cannot  refrain  from  adding  a  few 
words,  which  I  am  sure  will  meet  with  a  hearty  assent 
from  those  of  her  missionary  associates  who  survive  her. 

She  possessed  rare  executive  ability,  rare  physical 
health  and  strength,  and  a  cheerful,  unselfish  constitu- 
tional temperament ;  while  her  piety,  and  consecration  of 
all  to  the  Master's  service,  have  rarely  been  excelled.  Her 
"  meat  and  drink  was  to  do  the  will  of  Him  who  sent  her." 
Not  possessed  of  a  remarkably  handsome  face  or  figure 
while  at  rest,  yet  her  face  always  brought  pleasure  to  the 
beholder,  and  her  presence  was  a  benediction. 

Juliette  P.  Binney. 

Mrs.  Stevens  writes,  under  date  of  May  14, 
1880,  as  follows  :  — 

My  dear  Mrs.  Luther,  —  The  other  day  Mrs.  Ben- 
nett mentioned  to  me  your  letter,  requesting  her  to  give 
you  some  reminiscences  of  your  Aunt  Miranda.     Mrs. 


MRS.    STEVENS  S    LETTER.  25 1 

Bennett  is  quite  unable  to  write,  and  she  asks  me  to  say  a 
iittle  to  you  about  our  high  appreciation  of  her  amiabihty 
and  usefulness.  Her  life  was  quiet,  yet  ever  busy  in 
earnest,  unselfish  work  for  the  Karens  whom  she  loved, 
and  by  whom  she  was  most  beloved  in  return.  She 
sought  no  notice  nor  admiration ;  yet  one  could  not  but 
give  both  as  she  pursued  the  even  tenor  of  her  cheerful 
way,  always  thinking  of  some  one  other  than  herself. 

She  came  out  quite  young,  —  only  twenty, —  vigorous, 
happy,  and  consecrated  to  the  work  among  the  Karens. 
Her  face  was  always  radiant  with  kindness,  cordiality,  ear- 
nestness of  purpose,  and  sincerity.  The  picture  is  very 
vivid  in  my  memory;  and  her  voice,  too,  I  can  hear»  Not 
only  was  that  constantly  useful  in  teaching,  but  in  helping 
in  singing  Christian  hymns,  many  of  which  she  translated 
into  Karen.  Another  thing  I  may  say  of  her  voice, —  I 
"never  heard  it  used  to  the  injury  of  others.  In  respect 
to  this  rare  excellence  she  had  her  reward,  for  I  do  not 
remember  an  unkind  word  spoken  of  her.  She  was  uni- 
versally spoken  of  in  terms  of  esteem  by  all  who  were 
familiar  with  her  daily  life  for  twelve  years  among  us.  Six 
months  previous  to  the  time  when  Shway-gyeen  fever  took 
her  prematurely  from  her  new  home,  she  was  married  to 
the  Rev.  Norman  Harris.  I  cannot  to  this  day  see  how 
it  could  be  wise  to  remove  one  such  as  she  had  been,  and 
promised  yet  to  be  for  many  years,  while  yet  in  the  full 
vigor  of  cheerful  usefulness,  from  a  sphere  where  she  was 
so  much  needed ;  but  we  know  it  was  wise  in  the  eyes  of 
Him  "who  doeth  all  things  well." 

Elizabeth  L.  Stevens. 


252  THE    VINTONS    AND    THE    KARENS. 

Her  reward  is  in  heaven.  Long  years  ago 
has  she  known  the  fulness  of  God's  love  for 
his  redeemed  ones.  In  the  light  of  the  Celes- 
tial City,  the  dark  hours  of  earth  have  all  been 
forgotten  ;  but  not  forgotten  are  the  tender  and 
loving  and  patient  ones  who  toiled  with  her  on 
earth,  and  who  yet  speak  of  her  with  an  uplifted 
eye  and  quivering  lip. 

Let  us  bless  God  for  the  re-unions  which 
await  us  in  heaven. 

"ALMIGHTY  GOD,  with  whom  do  live  the  spirits 
of  those  who  depart  hence  in  the  Lord,  and  with  whom 
the  souls  of  the  faithful  after  they  are  delivered  from  the 
burden  of  the  flesh  are  in  joy  and  felicity,  we  give  thee 
hearty  thanks  for  the  good  examples  of  all  those,  thy  ser- 
vants, who,  having  finished  their  course  in  faith,  do  now 
rest  from  their  labors.  And  we  beseech  thee  that  we, 
with  all  those  who  are  departed  in  the  true  faith  of  thy 
Holy  Name,  may  have  our  perfect  consummation  and 
bliss,  both  in  body  and  soul,  in  thy  eternal  and  everlast- 
ing glory,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen." 


THE  END. 


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